Unknown Love
by Sydmherman
Summary: "Every bad thing that happened to us, to you, led us to where we are now. I mean, yeah, I wish things would've happened without all the blood and violence," She let her cheek connect to his forearm carefully, "But I'd never take back anything that had happened. I wouldn't take back meeting you. Ever." Bethyl AU. Enjoy and give me feedback :)
1. Chapter 1

Beth smacked her pen onto to the table out of pent up frustration as she rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, sighing loudly while resting her elbows on the crisp English book pages. She closed her eyes for a while, taking in the soft sound of white noise coming from her television, which kept her company in the small house that had recently been cleansed of abusive nights with a boy wasting too much of his own time throwing her around. She shifted her head to catch a glimpse through the small window in her kitchen as she watched her neighbor's dog bark at nothing more than a group of teenagers looking for midnight trouble. Ever since she moved in three months ago there was nothing but regret on her mind. The neighbourhood sucked ass and being named the "Druggie's Heaven" by newspapers all throughout the major city's headlines made Beth's head spin. Her rent was cheap though, given the "high quality" area she since has called home, she decided there was no better place to get her broke college hands on than this.

Her mind wasn't focused on studying, though her concentration on her notes and highlights weren't the focus of her attention since she wrote them in class last week, she still attempted to effortlessly study for exams she knew she'd be in trouble with. Beth was a good student, but her studies lessened as her bruises increased. Zach would normally come home late from parties around the neighbourhood, drunk and mad at Beth for no apparent reason. She would receive her usual beating until he would pass out on the couch without warning. Her self worth ran low until a few nights back, causing her to kick his sorry ass out (hopefully) for good. She didn't feel the need to house a drunk who had nothing to offer her.

Beth's gaze left the window and moved across the textbook before her. She slammed the book shut as she rested her recovering arm on it, studying the fading purple bruise that had Zach's name written all over it. She massaged the mark lightly, sucking air in sharply as she put pressure onto her skin. He had hit her hardest that night while he screamed raged thoughts into her face, cursing her with intoxicated words that tumbled out of his mouth without warning. She tried to refrain herself from thinking back to recent events by leaving the small kitchen table and heading towards her trusty futon. Popping an advil to relieve her onsetting headache, Beth stretched onto the couch contemplating on which shitty movie she should watch until she passes out till morning. Her eyelids lay heavily, increasing her grogginess as she tossed the remote onto her coffee table, giving up any motivation she had to stay awake. She drifted off slowly while letting sleep flood her brain as she tried to forget the stressful life she led.

...

Her heart raced as she flung up from the light sleep that seemed to have been cut short with yells from outside. She had just dozed off, looking at her phone only to find an hour had passed by. Beth jumped from the futon with new found energy, fumbling her way through the dimly lit kitchen while looking through her open window.

"Fuck you, you son of'a bitch! You're brother's doin' nothin' but rippin' me off!" Two men stood on the side of the road with tension that flooded through Beth's house as she watched in horror. She shouldn't have been surprised by the confrontation-they were a regular occurrence in the neighbourhood, but this one seemed different. Anger rose in the man who was yelling as he grabbed the other by his jacket, which had angel wings stitched roughly on the back, yanking him closer.

"You tell Merle I've gotta message for that piece of shit," The man being grabbed had no time to speak before he saw nothing but knuckle. Beth gripped the window sill as she watched the grown man fall to the ground, covering his face with failed attempts to shield himself from the blows above. The angry man went away at the other, leaving no stone unturned as he screamed into the bloody man's ear.

"I want my fucking money and drugs or else you're fuckin' dead!" The screaming man brought his fist back only to be thrown onto the ground somehow by his victim. Beth looked over his rough exterior, studying his shaking body as fear turned into fueled rage. She watched as he kicked the man underneath him, contradicting the angelic symbol on his back, making the fallen man grab his stomach in pain. The raged man didn't stop as he grabbed the crippled body below him and slammed his head one last time, collapsing onto the sidewalk as he covered his face, panting with exhaustion. His back was turned away from her house, giving Beth enough time to study his wings one more time; this was no angel. Beth stood for a second, phone in hand as she started to call 911. Her finger shook over the call button before looking up to meet eyes with the bloody man. He stood across her yard with sunken shoulders as he supported his arm with the other. They looked at each other for what seemed like minutes before he turned his attention onto the man beside him. A groan escaped the lying man's mouth as he attempted to get up. Beth watched as the standing man bent down, shuffling through the other's pockets before he bent over, leaving nothing but a few inches between the two. Beth could barely hear his husky voice as he spoke with a calm assertive voice.

"Get the fuck outta here," The groaning man received one last kick to the stomach before crawling to his feet, staggering away with curses filling the air. Beth stood in her small kitchen with wide, fearful eyes. She set her phone down as she covered her mouth, trying to sort out what had unfolded in front of her. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest while she looked over at her phone screen which still held the three digits that could fix the problem out front. She reached slowly, grabbing the phone quickly before jerking her head towards the living room. A loud pounding echoed through the small house, bringing Beth's anxiety up as she realized the man was knocking on her door. She sat in her chair for a second, contemplating on whether to call the cops and hide, or answer. Her brain was scattered, but somehow her body lifted off of the cold metal chair; her feet moved slowly, but the banging stopped. She stood in front of the door, waiting for any signs of him giving up and leaving. She shrieked out loud as the banging started up again. With the little courage she had left, she moved her fingers onto the doorknob, turning ever so slowly before swinging the door open, revealing the battered man before her. She seeked his blue eyes filled with rage, giving her a built up scream that wanted to escape her throat.

The man shifted uncomfortably at her doorway, transitioning into a completely different vibe than what she had seen just minutes ago. His body looked tired and broken; blood flowed lightly on his forehead as he held his arm. They stood in silence for a second before he cleared his throat.

"Best not call the cops," He looked down at her small hand that held on tightly to her phone. She glanced down quickly before looking back up at him with fearful eyes. She was scared, but for some reason the man words didn't seem as much as a _threat_ but more as pleading. He stood there with his gaze still caught up in hers, begging her with his eyes to put the phone away. He couldn't get caught up with the cops again. Beth stood there for a second before shoving the phone into her back pants pocket. The awkward standing continued before Beth realized the man needed medical help.

"You should really go to a hospital," Her voice carried low, making the man lean towards her slightly. He shook his head at her.

"Ain't goin' there after all that," She looked him up and down before making her choice. Her body moved away from the door slightly, signaling him to come inside. He was hesitant for a second and also confused with the thought of an innocent looking girl allowing a violent person that she's never talked to before in her life, into her house. He moved slowly; his awkwardness filled the room as he stood alone while Beth closed the door behind them.

"Sit down," She looked towards the couch, "I'll be right back." Beth moved through the dimly lit room as she made her way into the kitchen, looking for her first aid kit that came in handy quite often for her own self on nights like these. She rummaged through her kitchen cabinet before grabbing the familiar white container, making her way back to the stranger which sat silently in her living room.

She took a wet cloth to his face, awkwardly patting it as he sucked in air through his teeth loudly. Pain shot through the man; his head throbbed. Beth finished her work as she wrapped his arm in silence, closing the box while setting it onto the coffee table.

"Thanks," He mumbled. They sat in the dark room with each other in stiff silence.

"What happened out there?" Beth's voice was choppy and her throat was dry.

"Exactly what ya saw," He snapped at her, making Beth raise an eyebrow. His mood swings were apparent. She fumbled with her hands before mustering up more courage to ask smarter questions.

"What's your name?" She asked softly

"What's it matter to ya?"

"Well seeing I invited you into my house and cleaned you up I'd at least expect to know that much," Her tone surprised him as she sassed him back. His eyes rose and met hers, looking at the much younger blonde in front of him-most likely college age.

"Daryl," He grunted, "Yours?" She shifted slightly, finally getting the name-to-face recognition. There was finally a name to the not so bloody man now, making her feel a little better.

"Beth, Beth Greene," They sat in silence once again as they both took in who they both were.

Daryl cleared his throat as he lifted himself off the couch, having enough of the awkward silence between the girl and him.

"Thanks, uh, Beth." He grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door without looking back. He stood for a second, thinking about what else to say to the girl, but came up short. He looked towards her, searching her face only to find confusion. Daryl nodded before opening the door, shutting it firmly behind him without giving her the chance to respond. _God you can be such an ass sometimes._ He thought to himself as he walked quickly away from her house. He didn't know what to think; he couldn't get the picture of her out of his mind. She saw what happened between Caleb and him. She probably was calling the cops as he walked away, reporting a serious fight that happened in front of her house, mentioning it was drug related most likely. He ran his hand through his hair, feeling the freshly cleaned wound as he did. Beth Greene had shit on Daryl now. _Fuckin' great. This girl's gonna be another problem added on all 'cause of Merle. Fuck this. _

He stopped for a second to grab a cigarette out of his pocket. He took in the nicotine, realizing his worries as he finished his walk away from the neighbourhood. Daryl's senses stayed alert as he watched for anyone or anything. His feet carried him on, leading him back to confront his dumbass brother. _Fucker's in for it. _He thought to himself as he made his way onto his street, dropping the finished cigarette onto the lawn while he made his way back to _Home Sweet Home._

**A/N: Hey guys! I decided to try out a non apocalyptic storyline just to have something different to write about! What'd you guys think so far? Should I continue? I'm hoping to keep this one up so tell me what you guys think :)**

**Thanks for reading! xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

Beth sat on the couch with her hands dropped to her side, clutching the small white container laying beside her. Her face was twisted with her mouth slightly parted as she looked at the door in silence. She listened to the the gruff man while he walked away from her house, cursing to himself in the process. She sat in confusion, trying to figure out what the hell had happened and why. The television hummed in front of her, still spilling out a faint glow onto her confused face. She looked away from the door and onto the place that Daryl sat just minutes before, trying to figure out why he had left in such a hurry. Running a hand through her hair, she noticed something showing halfway underneath her pillow. Beth furrowed her brow before pulling the pillow away. It revealed a small baggy filled with a blue substance. She sat there for a second, staring as she rolled her eyes with a sigh. Beth wasn't surprised. Zach would always have the same stuff laying around or already used up by the time his drunken nights were done with; it was common around the neighbourhood.

Taking the bag into her hands and fumbling with it for a minute, Beth threw it onto the coffee table, not caring whether she-or anyone saw it. Her mind was elsewhere, searching for Daryl's face, trying to remember the blue eyes that had shown so much emotion to her in such a short amount of time. She remembered his long messy hair, reaching close to his jaw line as it covered the connection of the scruff crawling from the edge of his ear onto his face. He was a lot older than her-that should could tell by the aged lines near his eyes. She laid back down, covering herself with the red throw that lay limp where Daryl had sat. His scent lingered. She could smell a faint hint of woods, reminding her of her times out back behind her country home, hunting with her brother, Shaun, who since passed away in a fatal car accident in their teens. She closed her eyes, dosing off with the thought of the not so bloody man lingering into her dreams.

...

Daryl cursed to himself as he walked into his trashed home, blinded by the smell of smoke caught in the air. Empty beer cans scattered across the floor. He yelled out for his brother, still caught up in his own rage.

"Merle, 'the fuck are ya, Asshole?" His head fought back to his screams, making his body throb. He leaned onto the thin wall, trying to catch his senses while he looked around. The house smelt of stale beer and cigarettes-it looked just about the same also. He called out again, only to hear a muffled yell from the back room. Daryl didn't hesitate to barge into Merle's trashed room, finding him with his hands behind his head while his-what Merle called, "Lady friend" worked away at him. Daryl looked away sharply, groaning with disgust as the woman kept at it, even though he walked in.

"What's yer yellin' for? Gonna get the cops called on us again, lil brother," Merle took a swig of beer nonchalantly. He took his eye away from Daryl as he spilled a little onto the woman's head, making her slap his face in protest.

"Hey now, yer here for'a reason, best keep at it," His drunken laugh didn't amuse Daryl or the woman. She wiped her mouth before huffing and puffing out of the room. Daryl ran his hand through his hair out of embarrassment and frustration. This was a nightly occurrence it seemed and he was sick of his brother doing nothing but causing bullshit trouble.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Merle?" Daryl shouted at him, causing Merle to cock an eyebrow as he pulled his pants up, buckling himself in the process.

"She's just'a streetwalker, ain't nothin' wrong with tellin' her to keep at her job."

"That's not what I'm talkin' about," Daryl shook his head in disgust. He watched as his drunken brother swung his legs onto the side of the bed, shaking his finger at him. Merle chuckled drunkenly in the process.

"What's got yer panties in a bunch, huh? Ain't done nothin' wrong and yer treatin' me like I'm yer bitch or somethin'," Merle belched loudly, causing him to laugh at himself even more. _This bastard's out of his damn mind. _Daryl thought as he grabbed ahold of Merle's shirt, jerking him forward.

"Remember Caleb? The little prick you thought it'd be funny to piss around with and steal his shit? He decided to rip on _me_ 'cause of your dumb ass," Daryl gripped his brother's shirt harder, pulling him closer to his face as Merle sat in intoxicated amusement, "Ain't gonna be funny when he comes around sometime knockin' on our door with his buddies!" He threw the drunk back onto the bed as he paced the room. Caleb had connections with bigger people. _Higher_ people on the cartel chain who didn't take lightly to stolen drugs or money.

"Don't worry 'bout it, lil brother. I got the drugs and I got the money, now get your panties out of a bunch and calm the fuck down. Merle's got it covered." Daryl forced a laugh out, turning with seething anger.

"If you had everything under control my ass wouldn't have been _jumped _tonight!" He screamed at his brother as he fought the urge not to rip his face to shreds. He couldn't remember the last time Merle fucked up this bad, but he knew this wasn't his first time.

"Jumped? Hell, don't even look like there's barely a scratch on ya," Merle propped himself up with his elbows. His eyes glazed over with alcohol raging through his system. He studied his brother, looking at his washed up face with slight confusion.

"Yeah, well, got cleaned up." Daryl mumbled as his temper lowered with the thought of Beth wrapping his arm. He touched the cloth of his jacket, feeling the her tender work underneath. Merle watched his brother's face change as he felt his arm.

"Mhm, since when do ya ever 'clean up' after a fight? Ain't ever saw a Dixon do that before," He looked at his brother again before grabbing the halfway drunk beer on the nightstand, "Did ya get some hussy ta clean ya up after ya did the dirty with her, hm?" Merle laughed to himself as he fell back onto the bed, slowly falling out of consciousness. Daryl stood for a second, still thinking of Beth while listening to his brother speak nonsense.

"Ain't no _hussy,_" Daryl grunted at Merle.

"Oh, looks like Romeo here's defendin' a good one? You were always the soft one I tell ya," His last words became mumbles as sleep hit him hard, bringing snores out loudly while he let the empty beer can fall out of his loosened grip. Daryl shook his head; he left his sleeping brother and entered his own room acrossed the hall. Sleep started to invade his mind, causing his body to ache. _Gettin' too old for these damn fights. _His thoughts slowed as he threw his clothes off, plopping onto the bed with a groan of pain and relief. Daryl closed his eyes as he looked at the soft gray eyes staring back at him with confusion and curiosity. He remembered her blonde hair falling out of her messy bun, signalling that she had just woken up. She was too young for him though. She would never look at him as more than a stranger who needed help after he got his ass handed to him.

His thoughts moved to Caleb, remembering how he walked up to Daryl, hand on his gun ready to pull it out and shoot as if _Daryl_ was the one who did him wrong. He remembered the crazy look Caleb had as he screamed at him, asking for his "damn money". Everything after that was a blur. Daryl's adrenaline took care of his memory; he could only remember standing over the groaning man, taking everything out of his pockets and telling him to get the fuck away. He let his mind wander for a moment before snapping his eyes open. He flung himself off the bed as he grabbed the clothes he had just shed off and frantically searched through them, practically ripping them apart. His mind tried to figure out where it was while he emptied his pants and jacket pockets, only finding cigarettes and a few bucks.

"Fuck!" Daryl yelled to the small empty room as he sat back on the bed, still holding onto his jeans. His heart beat fast while he tried to figure out where he left the small bag of crank he took out of the drug dealer's pocket in spite. His mind came up with nothing until he realized where it may be. His sat there for a while, cursing himself for his stupidity as he realized he had to face Beth Greene one last time. He thought to himself at how stupid he'd look. _Hi, Beth, I left my meth in your house, mind if I grab it? Oh how 'bout a cup of tea while we're at it? _He rubbed his head in frustration. _Why ya need to steal the asshole's drugs anyways? _He laid back down as he replayed his stupid mistake repeatedly. His thoughts bothered him until he drifted off into a poor sleep, thinking about scenarios in his head of meeting the blonde girl once again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh, hey," Daryl stood before Beth Greene once again, shifting awkwardly in front of her with his hands shoved into his jean pockets. He watched her with slight amusement while she struggled to hold the door open with her phone tucked between her head and shoulder. Her face was twisted slightly, looking more annoyed with the person on the other line than him. He was surprised to see her hand wave him in as if they had known each other forever and this was just another visit. Beth motioned for him to sit onto the couch, continuing her conversation in the kitchen.

"Yes, I realize that," She went on, tension growing in her voice, "I'm not meeting you here. I'll drop your crap off once I have time to. You're not welcome here anymore," With that, she ended the call, throwing the phone onto the table as she rubbed her face with both hands. Daryl raised an eyebrow; it seemed she had forgot he was there all together. He cleared his throat awkwardly, making Beth turn around, placing her hand onto her hip.

"Sorry for that," She mumbled. Daryl shrugged his shoulders as she brought herself into the living room, taking a seat next to him.

"Boyfriend problems?" He grunted slightly only to find Beth's face filled with sadness. She sighed while she let herself fall back onto the couch.

"Ex boyfriend problems, actually," Nothing more was said about her situation, seeming Beth didn't want to deal with Zach anymore than she had to. They sat for a second while Beth pulled herself together. The two kept quiet until Beth reached into her pocket, chucking a small object at Daryl. He grabbed the baggy out of his lap, looking down at the item he had lost the night before.

"You're digging yourself a hole much deeper than it needed to be," Beth sighed. She was used to drugs and alcohol, but stealing from drug dealers wasn't something she thought was too bright.

"Didn't do shit. My brother's the dumbass who did," Daryl tucked the bag into his pocket. Beth turned towards him while resting her head in her hand as a smile crept up her face. She wasn't stupid, but this man must've thought she was.

"I'm sorry, but I watched you shuffle through his pockets and take that. Don't mistake me for a fool, Daryl," She nudged his arm playfully, causing him to stiffen up his body. He definitely wasn't used to anyone being playful with him. She kept on smiling at him as he became more uncomfortable. He avoided her eyes as much as he could, looking at the small room with nothing more than books scattered everywhere and a few girly things he would normally roll his eyes at.

"So tell me, why is your brother causing so much trouble for you?"

"He's got nothin' better to do. Lost his job 'bout a week ago for bein' boozed up," Daryl shook his head thinking back to the night where he picked up Merle, drunk off his ass with his boss's foot right up there, screaming at him to never step foot on his property again. Merle couldn't keep a job if his life depended on it, even if it was a simple mechanic job. Daryl counted his blessings, thanking whatever gave him the chance to keep his part time job there even though Merle pissed off his boss to no end. Daryl still got a lot of shit at work because of him, even more so now since Merle would ride past, flipping off the place while blaring his music. Sometimes Daryl had a hard time thinking his brother was much older than him.

"Sounds like a handful," Beth laughed as she pulled at a strand of her hair, "But he's your brother. Can't live without him," Daryl looked towards her, feeling better as she welcomed him in with her words. She had a funny way of looking at things, but he sort of liked it.

"Sure wouldn't mind havin' to not babysit a grown man all the time," Daryl scratched his head while he shook it in disapproval. They sat in silence for a little bit before Beth spoke up.

"Is that the only reason you came back?" Beth bit her lip as she made eye contact with Daryl. He searched for an answer, but came up with nothing more than to get his drugs and run. He sat for a second, realizing he wanted to talk more with the little blonde next to him. He wasn't used to being around a woman who wasn't going down on him for a buck or two. She was a breath of fresh air.

"I guess so," He blurted out stupidity. His nerves got the best of him as he messed with the corner of his buttoned shirt, trying to muster up any sense of manhood that he had left.

"You guess so, huh? If that were the case you would've left a while ago," She smiled at him, making his chest tighten a little bit. Was she flirting with him? He chuckled at the thought of how ridiculous they both must've looked.

"Yeah, that's so," Daryl grunted, standing himself up; he figured his stay was overdue. Beth watched him get up, trying to figure out why this man was so conflicted inside. First he sounded as if he wanted to talk about his problems, but now he was looking ready to leave.

"How about this. Since you decided to interrupt me while I was debating on whether or not to go out and eat by myself, you take me out and I'll think about forgiving ya?" Beth blushed as Daryl looked at her with a confused expression. _A girl askin' me out? The fuck is this? _He thought to himself as he gazed down at the floor before connecting eyes with Beth again. She looked so innocent while she sat on her couch, head cocked to the side while biting her lip. _Jesus Christ._

"Deal?" She continued without a reply from the man standing before her. Without a response again, Beth took the silence as a yes. She grabbed her phone and wallet before shoving them both into her back pockets. Daryl waited in silence while Beth stood up next to him.

"Don't ya think it's a lil weird askin' someone ya don't know to eat?" Daryl eyed the girl.

"People have sex randomly all the time and yet you don't hear people making a fuss about that. Come on, there's a diner just down the road," Beth opened the door, letting him walk out while she locked it behind them. They set off on their short journey in silence. Daryl's confusion died down as he stole glances of the happy-go-lucky girl next to him. She was determined to get to know him, he knew that much and for a second Daryl started to warm up to her.

...

Merle's head hit the wall with blunt force, causing him to groan in pain as he rubbed the spot with his hand. His body buckled over as a boot connected with his stomach, making him ache with pain. His vision became hazed, only making out the blurred, tall figures that invaded his house not long ago. Sweat dripped from his face, connecting with blood that seeped from an open head wound.

"Still alive, Dickwad?" Merle's ears rang as the figures seemed to scream into his head. His head nodded off, only to be shoved back onto the wall, making eye contact with the man before him. Merle chuckled, coughing up blood in the process. The man's hand squeezed Merle's throat harder.

"Fuck you, man." Merle spat out, causing another blow to the face. His breathing was caught short as the hand grasped his throat with greater force. He tried his best to fight back, but his energy ran short after what seemed like hours of watching his house become a battle zone. The men rummaged through everything he owned-which wasn't much and wrecking the rest. His beat up furniture was overturned and destroyed. The men went away at his belongings, taking anything that looked valuable.

"Mendel sent us to fuck you up. Said Caleb had your brother's ass caught up on the street last night," The man threw Merle back, letting his body collapse onto the floor. Merle's vision cleared somewhat as he made out three men standing in front of him.

"My brother made that kid his _bitch_," Merle's hoarse laugh brought on more bloody coughs. His stomach ached, practically screaming at him with pain.

"Let this be one last message to you and your hick brother," The man stooped down to Merle's face, leaving only an inch between them, "Take what's ours again and you bet your ass the pigs will be findin' your bodies washed up in a river," With that, the man gave one last blow to Merle's head, causing him to see nothing but blackness. His body fell limply onto the floor. The man stood up, looking at his accomplices before adding their final touches to the destroyed house. They left the house through the back door, making sure to break the door's frail window in the process, finishing off their mass destruction.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why ya askin' so many questions?" Daryl Dixon held onto the cool glass of water in front of him, focusing on the sliding sweat of the cup, landing onto his hand in the process. They sat at the diner for what seemed like hours, holding off ordering food until a few minutes prior to his question. Their conversations started off rough as Daryl warmed up to her; small talk turned into what seemed like 20 questions to him. In a short amount of time Beth Greene pried at Daryl's brain, picking through the simple things first such as where he lived, worked, and what he did other than beating up drug dealers. Her questions soon turned more personal; she'd ask about his past, his family, and everything inbetween. He'd glance at Beth every once in a while, though he kept his eyes pealed to the window next to him. She wanted to know too many things that even Daryl didn't think he knew the answers to. But for some reason he felt comfortable enough to at least attempt her questions. He wasn't used to someone who was genuinely interested in what he was saying.

Beth shifted slightly, resting her head onto her hand with her elbow propped onto the table. Her warm smile made him fidget in his seat. His eyes flickered to her glowing face only to bring heat to his own.

"My daddy always says to seek knowledge wherever it lies," He looked up for a moment, meeting her gray eyes. He figured she was around 19 years old by the way she talked earlier about just finishing off her first year of college this week. Her intelligence intimidated him; the only education he received was high school, even though he was either skipping or not paying attention in the process. Education wasn't much of a priority for him. He grunted at her response, making her smile fade.

"Sounds like you wanna write a book 'bout me or somethin," His voice was more gruff than he expected.

"I'm sorry," Her posture changed as she folded her hands into her lap. She remembered how Zach would yell at her for always being "too damn nosey" whenever she thought she simply was asking where he had been. Daryl noticed a change in her face as she sat there quietly, sinking slowly into her own thoughts. They sat for a minute; Daryl wasn't sure what to say while Beth massaged the top of her hand, looking at the faded bruise. He sat for a minute, contemplating on what to say.

"Got somethin' you wanna talk about?" Beth looked up at the stranger before her. Mentally pausing, she realized he seemed less of a stranger the more they talked. She wanted to give the guy a chance to redeem himself from his actions the night before. Beth knew everyone deserved a second chance, chances she gave out too easily. Daryl leaned closer to her from across the table, "I owe you for last night," He paused, "Anybody I need to take care of?"

Beth laughed quietly, "No, I'll be fine," Placing her hand on the table, Daryl noticed the bruise, making his blood boil. He grabbed it unconsciously, taking in the detail of her darkened skin. Nothing pissed him off more than a coward who beat women. Beth flinched, reacting to his rough touch with wide eyes. He traced her hand with his stare, looking up to her's with concern.

"I kicked him out a few nights ago. I don't think he'll be around me anymore," Daryl kept her hand in his only for a little while longer before releasing his grip, realizing what he was doing. Tears started to well in Beth's eyes. She didn't realize how much she had been keeping inside of her until this moment. Her efforts to keep in her tears were useless.

"He wasn't always like this," She wiped her nose with the crinkled napkin stuck in her small hand, "The past couple months he just started drinking and getting _mad _at me. I had a hard time kicking him out," Daryl tried to listen, but he couldn't get the picture of the small, blonde girl in front of him getting thrown around. He clenched his fist underneath the table with anger, only to try and calm himself down seeing they were in public.

"Ever have any problems you can come to me," Beth nodded slightly, trying to smile at his reassuring words. The waitress interrupted their quiet moment, bringing waffles for the two who sat quietly across from each other. They finished their food in comfortable silence, finally having some sort of mutual understanding of each other.

…

"Member to call if anything else happens," Daryl ripped the corner of notebook paper from Beth's notes, handing it to her while giving her a hint of a smile. She thanked him for everything that day; dinner was on Daryl without negotiation along with a promise of contacting him if Zach showed up uninvited.

"I mean it," He turned to her, trying out a reassuring purse of his lips. Beth tried to smile while she tugged at her sweatshirt sleeve; his blue eyes meant business. She felt a little better knowing someone would be there for her if anything would happen. Beth walked Daryl out of the house, giving him a friendly hug and a quick "See you 'round" before closing the door behind him.

...

Daryl took the short walk back to his house with his head in a better place than it had been in months. He'd forgotten all about his worries as he rewound memories of his long brunch with the blonde girl. She was starting to grow on him, which surprised Daryl. He was always cautious when new people were around; trusting someone took time in his book and he didn't trust often. His good thoughts were interrupted as soon as he flung the cheap wooden door open, entering his newly decorated home. His eyes traced the overturned furniture, leading to shattered beer glasses beside his feet. The house was destroyed. He stood in the doorway, stiff with fear, but also rage. It didn't take long for Daryl to seek out his unconscious brother slumped over at the edge of the hallway. Dried blood covered most of his face, spilling onto his wife beater with large amounts. Daryl picked up his brother's head, leaning it onto the wall as he called out Merle's name. Daryl studied his face, finding a black eye and a few scratches. Merle came to somewhat, giving Daryl nothing more than a few short responses after raging coughing fits. His shoulders slumped forward along with his head.

"Merle!" Daryl managed to shake his brother awake even more; Merle's eyelids fluttered open, showing nothing but a glazed over stare. Tears stung Daryl's eyes as he sat there in the wake of destruction, holding his brother while he came to slowly. His coughing died down as he wiped his hand across his mouth. Blood stained and out of it, Merle was useless with answers of who wrecked their home.

"Common, ya gotta think Merle, think!" Daryl tried to keep his voice down, but his rage and worries flooded back with full force.

"Quit yer yellin'. Ain't gonna help any," Merle's hoarse voice was surprisingly calm. Daryl knew someone knocked his brain around pretty good. He let go of his shoulders as Merle regained his posture on his own. They sat for a while; Daryl surveyed the damage one more time before speaking.

"Alright, get up," He grabbed underneath his brother's arms, helping him up slowly as Merle cursed under his breath. His body violently ached from blows to everything the man could get his hands on.

"Gotta get you to the hospital. I'll start the truck," Daryl grabbed the fallen keys of his brother's rusty-but trusty-ford, holding Merle in the process. His brother chuckled as he shook his head.

"Ain't no way yer gettin' me there," Merle protested his brother's actions, "Just get the pigs called on us. Ain't goin' to jail again," The two stood in the middle of their living room, holding each other with their own heavy weights.

"We ain't stayin' here then," Daryl continued to force his brother to walk towards the door. He knew it was stupid and somewhat selfish to barge into someone else's life with his problems, but hell, he'd may as well keep digging his hole a little deeper. He sat Merle into the passenger's seat, sliding into the driver's side while he started the old vehicle. Merle's head throbbed as he moaned in response. He trusted his brother enough to take him somewhere better than home. Daryl took the short ride slowly before parking a little farther than he needed to. He cursed at himself for not calling or giving any warning; his brother could be an asshole to new people. Daryl ran his hand through his hair as he looked at the small house to the left of him, taking in a deep breath before opening the door. _I gotta make it this all up to her somehow. _He thought as he walked his brother to Beth Greene's front door.


	5. Chapter 5

Beth had only finished her late shower before she heard a frantic banging on her door. She groaned in frustration as she walked out of her room, ruffling her hair with a towel in the process. She felt her constant buzz of energy the past two days wear out once Daryl had left her house less than an hour ago. Nonstop happenings were not something Beth enjoyed; Zach was too much to handle as it was along with college and exams. Most of her free time was spent with her newly found friend. She muttered to herself as the banging slowed the closer she came. Swinging the door open her eyes grew wide. There Daryl stood, the man she had just been with, covered in what looked like the blood leaking from the man who slumped onto Daryl's side. The man looked related to Daryl, most likely his brother, but a much older version. His face was covered-just the same as Daryl's was the night before, only he looked worse. Daryl's eyes met with Beth's, pleading her silently as he held onto the man's side.

"We didn't know where else ta go," Daryl managed to mumble as he led Merle into the living room, plopping him onto the couch. Beth shut the door slowly. She looked at the men before her, staring stupidly, eventually realizing Daryl came back since he knew she could help him out. _Goodness. These men refuse to visit professionals. _She shook her head at herself before entering the kitchen to retrieve her medical kit. As she shuffled through the cabinet she could hear Daryl attempting to talk to his brother. His voice was muffled and barely audible. She could only make out the frantic tone in his voice; he obviously was caught off guard by what had happened. Beth entered the living room once again, signaling Daryl to move over so she could get a good look at the broken man beside him. His body slumped over with his head resting on his own shoulder. The man looked like he really got his shit handed to him. Sitting in silence, Beth opened her kit and grabbed what she needed, attempting to work away as Merle moaned with objection.

"Tell him I have to clean the wounds or else they'll get infected," Beth looked at Daryl who fumbled with his hands nervously. He looked towards Merle who-even though he was some what unconscious-was still being a pain in the ass.

"I'm right here, blondie. Don't gotta get my lil' brother ta give me orders," Merle's eyes opened slightly; his tone was harsh, but it was only thick sarcasm. A smirk grew on his face, but faded once he felt the pain rush from the back of his head. He moaned again, grabbing at the open wound. Beth gentling grasped his wrist, pulling it down as Daryl sat and watched, amazed by how calm she was taking to his stranger of a brother. Her hands gently worked at Merle's face, cleaning off most of the blood and sterilizing with the little supplies she now had. It took a while, but she soon finished, closing her container and letting out a sigh. Daryl wanted to apologize for barging into her life like this. With his brother causing so much shit he didn't know who else to turn to. The two had more enemies than friends, and their "friends" only came around when their plans involved skipping bars and messing around with easy women. Merle passed out once again as his head rolled to the side.

"I'm sorry for doin' this to ya," Daryl looked at Beth while he gripped his knees with clammy hands. She smiled softly; Daryl came to the conclusion that Beth must've taken a shower by the looks of her wet, curly hair. He couldn't help but feel like a bother to her.

"Don't be sorry," She placed her hand onto the top of his, squeezing gently before getting up to put back her things. Daryl looked at his hand where he had felt her soft skin, still feeling the remaining warmth it left. _The hell's wrong with ya?_ He thought as his mind tried to sort out his behavior. He'd barely gotten to know this girl and yet she was definitely doing wonders on him. He'd never met a woman whom made him so worked up over the simplest of things. He kept his stare on his hand until Beth reentered the room. She sat next to him again-a little closer than he'd like, sighing as she looked onto his brother.

"That's Merle," Daryl shook his head in disapproval. His brother took up most of the small couch while he let out a small chorus of snores.

"I can tell you two are related," She noticed how they both had the same feel about them; tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. She could read them both like a book, even if she had met them in a short amount of time. They seemed to be good men stuck in a troubled situation. A puzzled look fell on Daryl's face. Did she mean to say they looked alike or acted alike? He never wanted to be associated with how big of an asshole his brother could be. He grunted in response to Beth.

"We can leave if ya want," He lied slightly, dropping his eyes to the floor. He _could _leave if she didn't want them in her house, which was understandable, but truthfully there wasn't anywhere they could go without being unsafe. His brother's state was bad enough along with their destroyed house. He'd hope should would be a little understanding.

"No, you guys can stay. I have class in a little bit, though. There's food in the fridge and the bathroom's in the back," Daryl couldn't believe what he was hearing. She'd be okay with strangers staying in her house? _Alone? _ "Actually, lemme get an ice pack out for your brother. He'll thank me later I'm sure," She glided into the kitchen without another word. Daryl thought how nonchalantly she'd spoken to him about letting the two stay in her house. He gripped the base of his nose as he looked at his sleeping brother. Beth returned in no time, handing Daryl a cloth and ice pack before picking up her towel to finish drying her hair.

"I can't do that," Daryl looked at her with his lips pursed.

"Of course you can, silly. Just give it to him when he wakes up. Make sure to wrap up the ice pack too," She smiled at him, obviously not catching what he meant. He laughed at her innocence. She really was something.

"No, I mean staying here without you. Barely know me. What's ta say we won't rob you blind?" Beth laughed, braiding her hair in the process. She bit her lip while trying to put on her band.

"Because you wouldn't," She smiled, making Daryl's chest tighten. He had to give her props for being so confident in him, but he also had to point out how stupid she was actually being. Not many people would allow two rough around-the-edges men into their home with open arms. She disappeared into what he figured was her room, appearing a little while later with tight jeans on that fit her figure so well along with a plain shirt hanging loosely off one shoulder. Daryl couldn't help but think that she could clean up nicely, or even look better than she already had. Beth smiled at him as she grabbed her keys.

"Oh, here," She pulled out her phone, typing something into it only to have Daryl's go off in an instant, "There's my number if you need anything. I'll be back in probably an hour or so. Make yourself comfortable," She smiled again before shutting the door behind her. Daryl sat staring at his phone, reading the message over and over again in his head, trying to make sense of it. He couldn't help but smirk a little at the confident, but yet simple words in front of him.

**Relax, things will be okay. :) **

He set his phone down after what seemed like forever staring at the small screen. He wasn't used to someone being so _nice _to him. He thought to himself that maybe he liked young Beth Greene so much because of the fact that her eyes hadn't judged him once since they met. His bloody appearance didn't phase her. She hadn't called the cops on him; she'd only wiped away his blood-stained face, quietly inviting him in with those gray eyes he still couldn't get out of his mind. He snapped out of his thoughts as he snatched the television remote off the table, switching on sports before resting his head back onto his hands, letting his mind once again roam into daydreams of his newly found friend.

**A/N: Hey guys! It's a short chapter, but I have more to come soon. It's been a pretty busy day so I haven't had too much time to write. I hope you guys enjoy and tell me what you think/want to happen next :) xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

The Dixon boys spent most of their time in Beth Greene's small home in complete silence; the television buzzed with background noise of sports and commercials in between. Merle slept most of the time while Daryl kept his place next to his brother, fumbling with the small phone in his hands as he waited for the blonde girl to come back. He'd constantly unlock his phone, checking not only the time, but the simple message she had sent him hours ago. His mind couldn't listen to the words written in small black letters. Instead Daryl sat with slight restlessness in a home not of his own. His mind wandered aimlessly, searching for something to think about other than Beth. He somehow was glad to be interrupted by the grumbles of his brother next to him.

"'The hell are we?" Merle sat up, giving his brother the raise of an eyebrow.

"Somewhere where your ass won't get in anymore trouble," Daryl grunted with annoyance lingering in his voice. _Knocked his brains so good he ain't remember what time of the day it is. _He looked towards his brother who didn't take lightly to his response. With a flick of the finger Merle stood up slowly, moaning as he grabbed his head.

"Where do ya think you're goin'?" Daryl questioned.

"Can't I go take a piss or are ya gonna bitch 'bout that too?" He looked on into the hallway, taking a guess before entering one of the three doors. He was pleased to see the toilet before closing the door behind him. Daryl still sat in his place on the futon, listening to the repetitive commercial in front of him. He checked his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time before realizing it was already seven and Beth hadn't come back yet. He knew classes didn't last more than a couple hours, hell, less than that. His fingers flipped through his messages finding Beth's number. He paused before setting down his phone. _Seriously? You're overreactin'. Actin' like she's your girlfriend 'er somethin'. _Daryl thought as he pressed his hand into his forehead. The girl would come home when she wanted to, warning him or not, it wasn't like she'd never come back.

Merle came back into the living room just in time for Daryl's phone to go off, vibrating on the small wooden coffee table. He instinctively reached with eager speed, finding his newly added contact appearing. His brother watched with amusement as Daryl's face brightened just a little before reacting to his phone.

"Hey," He didn't usually talk on the phone, especially with women.

"Hey, um, I'll be a little bit late," A faint shuffling cut in from the background of wherever Beth was. Her voice carried low with the complete opposite of how she sounded when she left, "I just gotta do something real quick and I'll be back at the house. You're still there right?" She questioned him only because she knew the better scenario was she would come home to an empty house, away from everyone and anything. She hadn't minded the men staying at her house, though she knew at least one would question her as soon as he saw her face.

"Uh, yeah. Want us to go?" To a certain extent Daryl was almost disappointed by the tone in her voice. He'd wanted to see her once again, but if she wanted them out of her house it was understandable.

"No..No. I'll be there in a little bit," Daryl listened to her voice breaking in and out. Before he had time to respond the call ended. He sat for a second, staring at his phone before hearing Merle clear his throat.

"S'that yer girlfriend on the phone with ya? This must be her house, huh?" Merle smirked before taking out a cigarette from his jacket.

"Ain't my girlfriend n' go smoke that outside, Dumbass," Merle shook his head at his moody brother before walking out the front door.

Thirty long minutes went by until the men heard a quick slam of a car door and hurried steps making their way to the house. The steps stopped short of coming in all the way; Beth's heart pounded as she paused at the door. Her fingers grasped the knob while she took a breath, opening the door with her hair hiding her newly found mark. The brothers watched Beth come into the room facing away from them as she slowly shut the door. She stood for a second before sighing, making her way to the kitchen without looking at them. Merle glanced at Daryl who kept his eye on the suspicious girl. He nudged his brother's shoulder with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yer girly friend seems a little strange," Daryl grunted at Merle's remark before getting up and entering the kitchen. She stood with her hands grasping the sink; her small frame faced away from him. Her tears from the drive home had dried while she prepared herself to mentally block the situation. She cursed herself for not doing a better job at hiding what had happened, but there wasn't much she could do with her appearance. Daryl stood awkwardly behind her as Beth counted her breaths before turning around. Her eyes kept to the ground still as she hugged her chest with her fingers collapsed onto her arms. Daryl's blood started to flow as he caught a glimpse of darkened blue and purple on one of her eyes. Without much thought, he placed his rough hand under her chin, forcing her to look up through her scared eyes. He felt his body heat up as he studied her face. His free hand clenched into a tight fist as he watched her eyes look anywhere but into his. Dropping his hand he grabbed the back of his head, trying to calm down, but nothing seemed to work as he pictured Beth's timid self being thrown around by just the guy he'd expected.

He turned back into the living room, to tell his brother they would be kicking some coward's ass only to be stopped by a small hand grabbing his arm. Fear shown in her eyes as she pleaded silently.

"Please, don't hurt him," Beth continued, but Daryl didn't want to believe how ridiculous she was sounding, "I-I stopped by his place to drop his stuff off and..It was my fault okay. I started to get mad at him because he didn't give me my necklace back. It's my fault he did this."

"This asshole punched you in the face and yet you're backin' him up?" Daryl's voice rose only because his rage was overflowing now. Not because of her, but because of the fact that he didn't take lightly to a woman beater and neither did his brother. Merle stood up from the couch, entering the kitchen to see his brother's new friend with a black eye.

"I shouldn't have egged him on," Beth's attempts to persuade Daryl were no use, "I'm never going to see him again anyways. The only thing binding us together was his stuff and he's got it back now," Merle butt in for the first time, coming close to Beth with a stone cold face.

"You best believe my brother 'n I don't take lightly to men who beat on women," His voice was calm, but his demeanor was just the same as Daryl's. He hardly knew the small girl in front of him, but he knew she'd helped him and his brother out more than they deserved, "Where's the 'lil prick live? Hm?"

Tears started to form again as the men questioned Beth. They calmed down once Beth broke down in front of the two. Merle and Daryl watched awkwardly as Beth sobbed into her hands. Looking at each other Merle shrugged, leaving Daryl to grab her arm, leading her back into the living room to sort things out. Her cries subsided after a while. Though Merle didn't give up asking where he lived until Beth finally gave them an address.

"He ain't gonna get away with this," Merle looked at Beth dead on. She knew this man for less than a day and he already felt bound to her through their situations. Daryl shook his head.

"How the hell you gonna fight some kid right after you got the shit kicked out of you?" He sat farthest away from Merle with Beth tucked in between. He felt his head clear once Beth's cries had died down. He couldn't help but notice she rested her body close to his with his arm placed on the top of the couch behind her head. He couldn't help but felt a sense of duty to protect the girl who gave him so much help in such short amount of time. He felt the need to give her back what she deserved.

"You guys don't have to do anything. I don't want you to," Beth wiped away the remaining tears on her cheeks before grabbing the edge of her sweater with nervous ticks, "Please, don't go there. He'll just come back and things will be worse."

They all sat in silence, taking in what she had said. Merle looked at his brother to see if they'd follow what she'd want or give the prick what he deserved. Daryl shook his head only slightly at him, making Merle furrow his brows. He couldn't believe his brother would let this one slide.

"Alrigh', we won't. But if that prick lays a ha-" Beth placed her hand onto his thigh, cutting him off mid sentence.

"He won't. I promise," Daryl's eyes squinted slightly before nodding his head in agreement, "I'd feel safe if you guys stayed with me though. At least for tonight," Daryl felt somewhat relieved to know she wanted them to stay. For one, they didn't have anywhere to go except for their destroyed house, and two, he was more than glad to stay just incase Zach did show up. He was happy to know she'd be safe for the night. She smiled before lightly squeezing his thigh. Beth showed the boys the rest of the small house they hadn't seen, offering whichever one the spare bedroom across from her room. Merle took it without giving Daryl a chance; he didn't mind sleeping on the couch though. Beth tried to change the subject off of her, asking about what had happened with Merle earlier only briefly before offering food. The three ate in silence before Merle decided to head off into the spare room, leaving Daryl and Beth on the couch staring at the television screen without focusing on whatever was on.

They sat close to each other for a few hours in comfortable silence. Beth rested her head onto Daryl making him flinch at first but his body relaxed as he understood she had just as hard of a day as him, even more difficult on her part. He kept his eyes glued to the tv, but his senses were all wired to the girl next to him. She was the first to speak in a long time, making his head jerk down, watching her lips move slowly.

"Thank you for staying with me," Her timid voice relaxed Daryl, "I know we're practically strangers, but I feel more safe with the two of you here than I ever have been before here," Daryl stayed silent as she continued, "I know you guys are good men," She attempted to smile at Daryl making his neck turn red.

Soon after Beth excused herself from the room so they both could get some well deserved sleep. Before she left the room Daryl stood up with her for the intent of walking the short distance with her to her bedroom. He hadn't known what hit him until he felt her small arms wrap around his torso with her face buried into his chest. He looked down with his arms to his side for a split second before loosely wrapping them around her. His awkwardness didn't stop Beth from squeezing him tighter. She cried into his shirt for a while before looking up at him with her irritated, red cheeks and puffy eyes. Beth hadn't felt this comfortable with a man in forever, making her want to hold onto him forever. She backed away, rubbing her hands up and down slowly on her arms before making her way into her bedroom, cracking the door slightly so she could still make a small sliver of the futon where Daryl would be sleeping. He stood for a second taking in what had all happened before stretching onto the couch and turning off the tv. In the moments of silence after he knew Beth had gotten in to bed he promised himself to always protect the girl who seemed just as broken as him-only she was better at hiding her issues until they were too much to bare. He was going to protect her, that much he knew.

**A/N: Thank you for your ideas! I have more chapters planned because of your guy's help and I can't wait to get to writing them :). I figured this would be a good spot. I know that this story is based (right now) in just a few days time, but Daryl and Beth always had a strong connection the way I interprete their relationship, so you may see their feelings develop soon but who doesn't want to see more Bethyl scenes am I right? Thank you for your kind words, they keep me going and give me motivation to write more so keep it coming! xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

What was meant to be only a night or two stay ended up turning into weeks of Beth Greene having the Dixon brothers as company. Daryl and Merle's house was nothing than a mess that seemed to be too much of a hassle to clean up anyways, leaving them with no problem in moving most of what they could into Beth's small house. They had nothing more than the clothes on their back and a few things they scavenged for underneath the ruins of their broken home. All three of the newly found friends unofficially agreed they all felt more safe in each other's presence. Beth thanked her God above for having brought to her men that not only wanted to protect her, but also gave her a different outlook on how men treated women. Granted, Merle had his slurs and gestures towards her, but overall he seemed to respect Beth more than any woman he'd come across. She hadn't had the best men in her life once her father passed away when she was only little, bringing in a stepfather who laid his hands frequently on her sister and even herself until the two grew old enough to move out. Beth hadn't had contact with her mother since she moved away and into college almost a year ago and she'd only see Maggie when holidays came around. She was never too close to her family, so it was nice to have people in her life that seemed to somewhat care for her. She knew these men were more of a family than she ever had before.

Daryl couldn't have been more relieved to be somewhere other than his piece of shit home. He didn't have to worry about Merle jumped again or having their house destroyed once more. Though a thought in the back of his mind always kept its flame. He tried to deny it, but the thought never set right with him. What if the men who came after his brother and him came knocking on Beth's door? What if they found out where they were and fatally attacked one last time? Usually those thoughts would last only a short time before he reassured himself they couldn't possibly want anything else from them; they had nothing more to give or take. Merle thought the same as his brother only his worries weren't as serious. He would think about his attack once in a while, but booze would often clear up his mind and set it to other things. He didn't drink as much as he would've at his own home out of respect for his brother's new friend, but he couldn't help to take a swig every night to help him fall asleep. All in all, the three shared a sense of safety as they adjusted to living under the same roof.

Daryl refused to give up his spot on the futon, though Beth offered to give up her bed several times. She apologized almost every morning when she'd walk out of her room, looking towards the big man sprawled out on her couch. Obviously, to her, he didn't seem too comfortable, but he insisted there wasn't a problem. The conversations would always end up with Daryl letting her know it was the comfiest place he'd slept in since he could remember, reassuring her with his blue eyes and a smile that made her shut up and smile herself. Beth still couldn't help herself from feeling some sort of guilt for not having enough beds or space.

The three shared their small space with warm hearts. Daryl couldn't believe the way his brother treated Beth. The first few days he sat on edge, waiting for Merle to make any sort of comment to get them both kicked out and on the street. Surprisingly he kept his mouth clean of anything other than harmless flirting and he even made sure to use "manners" when needed. Something about Beth Greene made his brother and him soft, which bugged Daryl at first, but he soon realized there wasn't anything wrong with having a sweet spot for certain people, especially Beth. He'd often spend his mornings at work thinking of later in the night when he'd get to see her.

The days would drag on when he wasn't at the home. Nothing satisfied him more than when Merle would decide to bail for a night at the bar, leaving the two alone to watch movies together until one of them would fall asleep first (mostly Beth). Those nights were his favorite; the pair would sit on opposite sides of the small couch and end up, at the end of the movie, by each other's sides with their hands wrapped innocently together. Daryl knew it was nothing more than just comfort for Beth, but he couldn't help but feel something strong between the two. Never had he let a woman come so close to him, but that's exactly what she had done.

The first few times they had spent the night alone together when Merle would leave until the early hours of morning there was still a little bit of awkwardness between them. Though Beth would carry on the conversations with ease, Daryl still had a lot of his walls built up. Whenever she'd touch him with more force than just a simple brush of the fingers his heart would speed up and his body would become stiff. He soon became used to her touches of friendly affection and he had no problem with letting her do so. He started to feel attached to her. Daryl feared that attachment would lead to something he never felt before. Beth never realized how much she meant to him already.

Beth's side of things were similar, but her mind was mostly set on Daryl being there for protection and comfort. Nothing more, nothing less. She had just gone through her issues with Zach, making her not want to jump back into things with someone new, though she started to notice Daryl in a different light recently. She would often catch herself thinking of him when he was away at work instead of finishing up job resumes. Finding work was much easier when the two men were out of the house and she was left to her own devices. She enjoyed their company too much to even begin searching for jobs when they were at home. Her internet searches came up short for the most part, but Daryl insisted on paying his part on the house ever since they moved in. Granted, her mother's way of apologizing for the years spent at home was a good amount of money given to her every month, Beth felt the need to try and support herself somehow. Her mother's money made it even more easy to daydream about other things other than looking for jobs (secretly she let her mind wander since she knew she was set).

As she'd let her mind nod off, Beth started to feel things she hadn't thought she'd ever feel again ever since Zach decided beating her up for his own release was the best option for letting out anger. She'd catch herself grabbing Daryl's arm whenever he'd get her laughing about something stupid, making her insides feel warm and her cheeks would normally blush when she'd catch what was happening. Her innocent actions spoke loudly to Daryl and she knew that she felt a crush growing on the man with few words. Beth scolded herself for thinking of him that way. _He's so much older than you! He couldn't possibly see you in that light so quit giving yourself false hope. _She'd never listen to her mind though. She liked everything about him and there wasn't any way she could keep herself from denying the truth.

…

**Almost out of work? It's pretty boring here without you guys! :(**

Beth couldn't help but bother him at work whenever she felt hopeless with her pathetic attempts at job searching. Today was no exception as she brushed the keys of her laptop only briefly before picking up her phone without a second thought. Daryl rarely texted, though he'd often catch himself staring at his phone more than working the past few days. She kept him occupied that was for sure and he didn't mind one bit. She set down her phone before stretching out on the metal chair. It was only a quarter past three; Merle was out with who knows and Daryl's shift was almost over. She smiled at the thought of him coming back home. She couldn't help but imagine him entering the house quietly like he normally would, covered in grease smears with the smell of oil lingering in the air. He would be a mess, but she never minded. The hardworking man was definitely growing on her.

**Best find a job soon so you can do other things than bothering me at work! **

Beth smiled at the sarcastic text before closing her laptop and heading towards the fridge. She made sure to always prepare food for the boys so they'd never go with an empty stomach. Her own stomach growled at her as she flicked through her empty fridge. _Pasta will have to do._ Her fingers collapsed over the package of deer meat Merle brought home the night before. They'd have to make due with a redneck kind of spaghetti.

An hour went by and Beth's cooking filled the house. She loved to spend her time in the kitchen as a way of escaping reality. Her mind was so consumed in what she was doing she ignored altogether that the television had turned on in the living room.. Beth shrieked out loud as she felt a hand brush her loose hair away from her neck. Daryl chuckled behind her, making a smile crawl up her face as her cheeks grew red.

"Somethin' smells good," Daryl walked towards her side, showing his familiar grease smeared face filled with hunger.

"Figured you'd like something other than casseroles," She nudged his side playfully before emptying the tomato sauce into the pan. Daryl never complained about her cooking, though he was glad to see something different. Beth shooed his hand away as he attempted to grab a piece of garlic bread.

"Wait for your brother would you?" She laughed at the defeated look on his face. She couldn't believe he came off so rough and tough the first time she'd met him.

"Said he ain't comin' home until late. Met a chick at the bar last week an' I'm surprised he's lasted this long with 'er," He tried to come up with the woman's name but came up blank.

"You're telling me he's got a girlfriend and I had yet to find out?!" Beth hit Daryl's forearm lightly. Merle practically blurted out everything that was happening in his life, she was stunned to hear something new.

"Name's, uh, Carol? I think. Only saw 'er drop him off her few nights ago," Daryl shrugged his shoulders. Beth did the same with the reply of "hope he's happy" before sitting down with Daryl to devour their meal.

The two sat on the futon in satisfied agony as they flipped on a movie to begin their regular routine. Beth noticed for the first time Daryl hadn't sat at the edge of the couch. Instead, he plopped down next to her, throwing his arm naturally around her. Beth's heart fluttered as they sat in silence, listening to their surroundings more than the movie. Daryl felt her move closer, resting her hand on his thigh much like she did before, only this time seemed different. His chest tightened as they sat together. Slowly looking down he felt Beth's head rest onto his chest with her hand moving away from his thigh to wrapping around his rib cage, pulling him towards her even more. His mind could only concentrate on her soft breathing. He looked over her messy blonde hair wrapping around her shoulders and leading down just long enough to cover her chest. A growing thought crossed his mind as she nudged her body closer to his, pulling up her legs and tucking her feet close to her.

Beth was fully aware of her movements and even more aware of the sharp breath pulled into Daryl's mouth as she felt his heart quicken underneath her head. Her actions were just a way of showing how her mind was feeling. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to the man and this was her way of testing the waters. With all the confidence she could bring upon herself, Beth looked up slowly at Daryl who was already looking down at her. She smiled softly before looking into his eyes, seeing the strong emotion that made her smile turn into a soft lip bite.

Daryl watched the girl's expression changed as he looked down on her. Her eye's darkened, leaving a heat radiating off of both of them as their faces were mere inches apart. Instinctively Daryl leaned closer, giving way to any uncertainties Beth had about what she wanted. Without much thought, Beth closed the space between them, connecting their lips and holding them into place as she took her hand into his dark, messy hair. Daryl's eyes widened and then closed as he realized what was happening. His senses were heightened as he felt her hand grip lightly on the back of his head. She explored innocently, biting the bottom of his lip before he felt her give permission to let him explore her's.

They became consumed in each other's company as their light kisses lead to more than just weightless caressing. Soon Beth had crawled on top of his lap without breaking apart their connection. She grasped his hair with both hands now, ignoring the fact that he was still covered in grease and grime. His hands collapsed lightly on her hips, exploring new territory to him. He couldn't believe the innocent girl he had met not long ago was letting him in. As soon as the intimate moment had started, shortly they were interrupted by the door opening.

Merle stood in the doorway with as much amusement as ever, watching Beth scramble off Daryl in lighting speed. He chuckled as his he watched both of their faces flush with several shades of red. Beth smiled embarrassingly as she never gotten caught like that before.

"Uh, there's some, um, spaghetti in the fridge for you," The silence killed her as she felt Merle's amusement. Her quick change of subject made him shake his head with laughter.

"Alrigh' thanks. I'll let you two get back to business," Merle's smile stretched across his face as he looked at his brother who didn't make eye contact with him. He disappearing into the kitchen leaving Beth and Daryl in the same position as they were in the beginning of the movie. They sat for a little bit before Beth looked over at Daryl; his face still shown embarrassment, making her laugh to herself.

"I'm getting kind of tired. Think I'll head off to bed," Beth grabbed his hand, forcing Daryl to look at her. Her smile made all of his uneasiness go away in an instant. With a kiss on the cheek, Beth disappeared into her room, keeping only a sliver of her door open like she normally did. He sat there a little while longer before figuring the best way to avoid his brother's comments again were to clean himself off with a nice, long shower.

Merle sat in amusement still, watching his brother walk across the room slowly, obviously still flustered by him breaking up his little meeting with the young blonde girl. He couldn't help but see a change in his baby brother ever since he watched how Daryl looked at Beth. He knew his brother was lovestruck and it sure was the best entertainment he needed.


	8. Chapter 8

"Dixon!" Curses filled the air as Daryl smeared oil off of his cheeks from the sound of his boss yelling his name. Sweat trickled down the side of his face, exaggerating the increasing filth on the man from spending hours underneath vehicle after vehicle. Daryl hurried his last touches on his latest oil change before pushing out from under the car, venturing away from the garage and into the main office. His boss, Abraham, sat in his broken down swivel chair, watching Daryl with annoyance flooding the room.

"Yeah?" Daryl took the back of his hand to his cheek, finishing off what was left of the remaining oil. Abraham sat with his elbows propped on the desk; Daryl knew he was in for it seeing the last time he had his boss this ticked was when Merle got fired.

"You've got some prick outside askin' for you. Make it quick and get back to work right after," Abraham's attention quickly fell off of Daryl as he picked up his phone, signaling Daryl to get the hell out. He stood there for a second with confusion set on his mind. _Visitor? Ain't no one needs to see me. _A smile crawled up his face as he realized it was close to noon, AKA lunch hour. _Beth. _His legs carried him quickly to the front of the small business with great pleasure only to have his smile fade. Daryl stood stiffly across the room, spying an aged man sitting close to the door. His blood ran cold as the man lifted from where he sat; a hint of a smirk rose on the man's face as he made his way to Daryl.

"Get the fuck out of here," Daryl kept his voice low only to keep the other customers that were waiting calm and unaware of the situation. The man cocked his head only slightly, staring right through the mechanic. It took everything he had in himself not to knock the old, drunken man in front of him right on his ass. The man smiled, revealing a great show of yellow, rotted teeth that reeked of vodka and cigarettes.

"Aw, shouldn't ya be a lil more happy ta see yer pops?" The man's laugh shot venom through Daryl's veins. He couldn't comprehend why his father was standing in front of him. He couldn't understand how he had even found out where he worked. Daryl hadn't see his dad in 10 years and he wasn't about ready to have a family reunion. He gripped his father's shirt, holding all of his anger through the wadded up wife beater in his knuckles as he pushed the man outside of the room and into the Georgia heat.

"You stay the hell away from me, ya hear?" Daryl's voice seethed with anger, "You get the fuck out of town and never come back!" He released his grip, throwing his father back with staggered footsteps. His old man stumbled and cursed while he smoothed out the piece of clothing Daryl practically torn apart with his grip. His drunken laughter soon disappeared as anger rose, seeping through his eyes as he walked up towards Daryl, leaving nothing but an inch between each other's faces.

"Since when did ya get this kind of courage to fuckin' touch me like that?" Daryl could feel himself shrink underneath his father's red-rimmed eyes. He started to remember the times he felt this at home so long ago when he had nowhere else to run, facing his angered father alone and defenseless. "How's 'bout I give ya one las' chance," Daryl found it harder to look into the man's eyes the longer he spoke, "I only need one thing from you worthless 'lil shit and yer fuck up of a brother," His smile reappeared, making Daryl even more uneasy, "Jus' a place ta stay for a 'lil bit. Got tha cops comin' after me fer some stupid shit reasons. How's 'bout I-" Daryl backed away with a shaking head.

"No. Fuck you," He lifted his head to meet his father's gaze, "You ain't done nothin' for us before. I hope them pigs lock your ass up for good," Adrenaline pumped through his veins, giving him confidence he hadn't had back at home, "I hope your ass rots in jail till the day you die," He spit the words as if they were fire exploding from his mouth. He shook his head once more before turning his back and making his way back to the garage.

"Alrigh' fine, you walk away from me," His father's intoxication made for an interesting show as the customer's inside watched the whole scene play out, "Best pray I don' find where ya live next, pussy!" Daryl kept his back turned, entering the garage in bitter silence. He couldn't wait for the day to get finished.

…

Beth glanced at the clock as she tried to hide her excitement. Daryl would be home in an hour, making way for her favorite part of the day. The past couple months had been nothing but Daryl and Beth alone in their house while Merle ran around with his newfound "steady" relationship. Daryl never mentioned what his brother was up to other than what he knew of. The alone time they had made Beth almost forget about her troubles with her past relationship. Things seemed to finally come together.

She wiped the sweat off of her brow as she pulled the last of the weeds in the lining flowers in front of the house. It was a scorcher today, making her feel useless as she sat inside watching television like usual. She finally felt somewhat of a purpose while she dug away at the wilting flowers. Though she didn't have much luck with gardening as she did cooking, Beth wasn't one to give up easily. The last bit of unwanted grass broke away from the dry dirt with ease, giving her the satisfaction of finally finishing her small project. Holding herself up with one arm stretched close behind her, Beth heard the faint noise of the good old truck she always missed. She smiled to herself with her back turned from the road. Beth barely had time to get up before she heard a forceful slam of the truck's door and silent steps going past her into the house, slamming the front door just as hard. Her smile faded as she realized Daryl was home an hour early without as much as a "Hey" to her in the process. Peeling off her gloves with uncoordinated speed, Beth entered the house to find Daryl in the kitchen. His fingers gripped the back of his head as he paced back and forth, obviously upset by something. Beth's timid steps made it to the arch between the living room and kitchen, watching him as he tried to calm himself down.

"I lost my job," He managed to feel Beth's presence between his trips from each end of the kitchen.

"But, why? I don't understand. You said he was gonna give you a rai-" Daryl cut her off as he stood with his back turned to her still.

"Yeah well shit ain't gonna happen!" He couldn't contain his anger, "That asshole had to ruin it for me again. Has to ruin everythin' I've ever worked for!" Beth pulled her hands together, fidgeting as she watched Daryl with discomfort. He hadn't been this mad in what seemed like forever.

"Merle?" She managed a barely audible question at the tempered man in front of her. He turned, ready to yell, but he realized how big of a jackass he must've looked like, yelling at her without any rhyme or reason. He stood there watching her while he forced himself to calm down.

"Nah, not Merle," His demeanor changed as he grabbed a seat at the small table, putting his head between his hands, "Bastard came ta my work an' got me fired," Beth slowly took a seat next to him, trying to figure out who he was talking about. Daryl looked up to find Beth's face. He knew she didn't understand because he never talked to her about him, ever.

"My pops. Haven't seen him in years an' he found out where I worked somehow. I swear to god if that prick shows up here," He shook his head and buried his head back into his hands once again. Beth brushed his arm with her hand lightly before grabbing on. She only could figure out the Dixon boys had a bad childhood through bits and pieces of conversations, but they never seemed to want to bring up what happened in the past. Daryl looked up at Beth's reassuring smile.

"He won't come around here. Don't worry," Beth walked towards the kitchen sink to wipe off and start their early dinner.

"Yeah, best hope he don't find his way over here or it'll be the last place he'll step foot on," Beth raised her eyebrow at his hostility, but she knew he had reasons beyond what she wanted to understand.

…

Merle tipped the almost empty beer bottle up to his lips before leaning his head back, letting the warm liquid pass between his wet lips. He could feel his buzz leaving him from the day before, which wasn't something he wanted to let go just yet. He sat in the beaten up recliner for what seemed like hours. The clock shown only six thirty-eight, still early enough for a few more beers. He let his head fall back onto the worn out cushion as he felt an urge he hadn't satisfied in what seemed like months. Merle opened his eyes, searching the small apartment he started to spend most of his time in with the woman who also shared much of his simple minded interests.

Carol was the first woman he actually stuck with for more than just a night's time. She was a firecracker-and he definitely wasn't used to a woman putting him in his place. He'd spent most of his time getting high with her, infact that's all they seemed to do, but inbetween he'd get his fair share of womanly love.

Merle reached for the plastic bag on the wooden table next to him, accidentally ripping the top as he tried to pry the small plastic apart. His fingers itched anxiously to feel the blue, cracked solid in his hands. Merle couldn't have been happier to see Carol met with the same drug dealer as him, though he made it clear for her to never speak of him with them. Who knows what that would lead to.

Feeling the victory of the cold substance in his calloused hands, Merle placed it on the coffee table while he rolled up his crumpled dollar bill. With a fast sniff through the nose his head flew back with satisfactory twitching of his neck. Nothing felt as good as a kick from what he missed the most. Merle forgot all about his worries with his old drug dealers as he waited for the real high to kick in, taking another swig of alcohol while he waited for Carol to back from picking up pizza.

…

Daryl felt warm arms wrap around him as he sat on the edge of Beth's bed after finally washing off the remains of his lost job. The shower helped wipe away any frustrations he had just hours ago, making his head feel much more clear. He felt both emotionally and physically drained after explaining to Beth all about why he wouldn't have minded if he never saw his father again. Especially after his mother died long ago, Daryl wanted nothing more than his father to do the same. Beth's soft giggles caressed his neck as she pulled him down onto the wrinkled covers, making him come back to reality. He felt her fingers walk across his bare chest while she hummed softly next to him; nothing made his worries disappear more quickly than her soft voice escaping with tunes from older times. His head was so wrapped up in seeing his father and losing his job he'd forgotten how nice it was to come home and rewind. There was nothing Daryl wanted more than to forget today and move on.

Their bodies stayed close with Beth's legs wrapped into Daryl's. Though the air conditioner recently crashed and burned, the two couldn't help but enjoy the heat one another let off from their revealed skin. The silence between them spoke so much; blue eyes gazed into gray as they let each other lose their senses to the outside world, welcoming each other into their own private get away. Nothing pleased them more than the innocent nights of disappearing into each other in the silence of Beth's milky sheets.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Beth's voice carried low next to Daryl's ear, leaving his chest to tighten as it normally did from hearing her sweet words.

"Well, got none now," Daryl grunted, trying to make light of things for the first time. Beth brushed away the drying hair from his eyes. She smiled as he attempted the same.

"Lets get out of here, like go for a walk or something," Beth's tired excitement made Daryl pull her closer, wrapping his arm underneath her head as they looked at the ceiling, "Maybe you could take me up in the woods like you've wanted since last week?" He turned his head slightly, watching her eyes follow his. He nodded a few times while he turned the idea over in his head. What would be more perfect than taking Beth out to the place he always would call home? They laid together in each other's arms until dreams started to haze with reality; their bodies slowly lost consciousness to the world around them as sleep consumed their minds. Things started to look up for Daryl and Beth, though different plans were laid out for the Dixon brother.

**A/N: Hey guys I'm LOVING your responses to my story. I'm falling in love with writing this and I definitely have a long way with this story so I hope you guys want to see more. :) Any takes on what you've liked so far? I know this is a Bethyl story, but I love having Merle in it too because he's still just as important as a character as Beth and Daryl. Thank you for all your lovely reviews and you guys seriously make my day with your thoughts and suggestions. Keep enjoying! xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

Early morning light stretched across the quiet room, softly caressing Beth's exposed skin with warmth that pulled her slowly out of sleep. She moved her head slightly while stretching her fingers out onto the soft sheets beneath her. The calming morning effect still had its grasp on Beth as she propped herself up with one arm while rubbing sleep away from her eyes with the other. Looking over to the left she found herself inches away from Daryl's back. He was still consumed in a deep sleep. Beth's eyes traced the outline of his body, traveling down until the thin sheet connected loosely over his hip. He was much different in this state, though he had calmed his temper since meeting Beth, she still admired the natural innocence he had just as much as everyone else when deep inside their dreams.

Her thoughts were interrupted by muffled commotion outside her door. Panic flooded over Beth before realizing Merle must've stumbled his way into the house after what seemed like days of him roaming around with his so called girlfriend. She rolled her eyes with a smile plastered on before hopping from the bed. She combed through her knotted curls before heading towards the door, lazily yawning in the process. Opening the door, Beth's eyes wandered across the room, looking through the cracked door with curiosity and confusion. Her trek to Merle's room ended abruptly as her bare feet stepped into liquid. Pulling back quickly, Beth's breathing hitched. Small patches of blood led throughout her living room and into the spare room before her. Suddenly struck with fear, Beth wanted nothing more than Daryl to wake up and explain things were fine and the liquid now connected with her foot was nothing more than a hallucination. There was enough blood shed the past few months than she'd like to see in her entire life; this, even though so little, proved to be too much.

Brushing her fingers across the door, Beth pushed it open with hesitation before closing her eyes tightly and breathing in one last time. Her hand gripped the the side of the door as she looked onto Merle who was holding someone in his arms as he mumbled incoherently. The limp body sagged into his chest as he rocked slightly with his back turned towards Beth. She studied the middle aged woman; soft short hair matted onto her scalp with blood mixed in with gray. Beth assumed this had been the one Merle was running around with the past few weeks. She stood in realization of what was wrong with Carol. A single line of blood made its course through her mouth and onto Merle's arm as he looked onto her face with sudden silence.

"She's gone," His voice crackled faintly while his eyes never left the pale woman's face, "Everythin' happened so fast. I jus', I jus' don' know what happened," His jaw clenched as he tried to fight back the emotions that started to flood through his voice. Beth stood cautiously before continuing on to Merle's side, looking upon Carol. Vomit attempted to crawl up her throat as she saw more blood crusted onto her wrinkled, white shirt.

"Merle wh-" She started to ask only to be interrupted with his fit of rage.

"I coulda done somethin' Goddammit! She didn' have to go! We were only messin' 'round before things jus' went black. We was havin' a good time too," He dropped her body onto the bed, making sure his back was still turned towards Beth, "I jus' remember wakin' up an' there she was, layin' on the couch with her hand still holdin' the damned thing," Beth couldn't understand why he wouldn't just say what happened; his head shook as he continued, "I didn' know she was so, so fucked. I thought things were goin' good. She took my gun. Guess she wanted to die," He stopped himself so he wouldn't explode. His mind was racing as he took away his hand from her head, revealing what had ended it all. Beth's hand flew to her mouth; a small gap of Carol's head lay open with blood still making its way into her hair and throughout the side of her face. The walls around them started to blur and melt away as Beth's eyes fluttered while her legs screamed to give out from beneath her.

Shuffling from outside of the room became more apparent as Daryl made his way into the mess of things. He stood behind them both, watching as his brother stood above the lifeless woman, touching the bloody head with a stained hand.

"You brought her here? What the hell you thinkin'?" Daryl's voice carried low throughout the room, startling only Beth. For the first time Merle looked over his shoulder. His face aged significantly with so much held beneath his exterior. He watched his brother, but didn't answer. He only looked right through him, still brushing his hand against the drying wound. The two onlookers watched in silence, taking in the morbid scene while trying to grip onto anything that made sense anymore.

…

Days had passed in a blur for the three as did hours of questioning from police, silent mourning, and an upcoming funeral. Beth insisted on the two going to support Merle, though Daryl argued he didn't even want to go himself. Merle's way of coping shocked Beth. He did nothing more than stay put in the small bedroom, drinking away with music drowning out any type of emotions he felt coming onto him. He'd barely known the woman, but she was the closest thing he had to a relationship that was soon ripped from his grasp. Beth's heart sunk the day of the funeral as Merle refused to go, leaving Daryl and Beth to sit in the living room as they watched the clock's hands move from eight to ten in slow, dull taps. The funeral had passed without the three showing. At the stroke of ten Daryl moved from Beth's side and into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of vodka for them to share as they listened to the music increase in volume.

"It's too early," Beth shook her head at Daryl's extended arm holding the halfway drunk bottle. With the shrug of his shoulders he took the bottle too his lips once more, setting himself down beside Beth.

"He'll be fine ina few days," His reassurance did nothing to soothe her spinning head. She felt for Merle; she felt the loneliness in the room with him as he held Carol close.

She could remember vaguely of the day she lost her father. She remembered walking in from running through the woods with Maggie only to find his boots floating above the floor as he swung only slightly; a beer bottle shattered beneath his feet. She could remember how her sister dropped to the floor, though Beth couldn't understand what was wrong, she knew her sister had good reasons when she was upset. So Beth dropped too, holding her sister's limp hand as Maggie screamed into the floor. Beth's young mind only wondered why her sister was so upset until she looked into her father's glazed over eyes.

She took the memories from her mind, grabbing Daryl's free hand as tears fought to escape. He watched her face change as she stared into the blank television screen, obviously upset by something. He didn't know what else to do after days of comforting seemed less like coping and more like going through the motions just for Beth. He'd only realized she was out of her trance when her hand grasped his lightly.

"I hope you're right." The alcohol started to warm Daryl as he pulled Beth in, trying to forget about everything and anything as she sobbed not only for Merle and Carol, but for her father.


	10. Chapter 10

"You'll be fine," Beth fidgeted with her new blouse while listening to Daryl's soft mutters of reassurance. Her fingers tangled together as she worked away at buttoning up the rest of her shirt; nervous was an understatement for Beth in her moments before heading off to her first day of work. Daryl watched the distressed blonde before him with slight amusement. He never noticed how worked up she had been about finally going back into the workforce until a couple days prior. The way she'd keep herself busy by unfolding and refolding her new uniform made him laugh. They both knew she would do just fine as a waitress, especially since she had a special knack with people, though Beth still bit her nails, watching the clock struck closer to twelve.

The weeks after Carol's death brought darker days for the three of them, even though Merle was closest to her, they all mourned in the confinements of the house that seemed to shrink in size. Merle started to feel better though; his drinking decreased and both Daryl and Beth finally saw his face emerge from his bedroom more than just once in a great while. His smile started to return as well as his crude comments, making Beth believe if he could get out of his slump, then so could she. Beth understood what it was like to lose someone because of their own doing, but she kept her mouth shut about her father, only letting Merle know with her soft gray eyes that he wasn't alone in this. The two had become closer, making Daryl feel even more confident of Beth's way of helping people and putting them first before her own needs. She did wonders for his brother and him; there wasn't enough time in the day to thank her for that. Brighter days were on the horizon for them all, though dark thoughts still lingered in the back of their mind's.

"How do I look? Should I change?" Beth turned towards the man leaning against the kitchen arch, watching her run a hand through her hair for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. He followed her gaze onto the small, gold name tag above her chest while she straightened it slightly. _You look beautiful. _He wanted to grab her face, forcing her to look into his eyes so she knew he meant it, but her kept his place.

"You look great, Beth. They'll love ya," His truthful words calmed her down just a little before she looked back at the clock with a sigh. She had turned in an application at the cafe Daryl had first conversed with her a week ago, catching an interview the next day, and impressing the manager greatly with her professional innocence. Dale, an old time friend of her father shook her hand with great pleasure, explaining to her he'd be glad to see a glowing face around. They talked briefly about the "good ol' days" before ending the interview. Beth remembered walking out of the small restaurant, a smile attempting to spread onto her face as she hopped into her car ready to share the great news.

"Okay, Okay. I'll be back around seven, seven-thirty," She smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress pants before hugging Daryl. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, burying her head into his chest just to find a sense of relief once more before leaving, "You guys will have to fend for yourself tonight. Think you can handle it?" She smiled apologetically.

"Somehow survived without your cookin' before. We'll manage," Beth kissed his cheek, bringing color to his face as he watched her walk out the door, leaving him alone with his brother locked away in his room still.

…

"Beth Greene! It's so nice to see you again," Dale brought Beth into a tight hug. Pulling away, he gripped her shoulders with a smile on his face. She smiled shyly before taking in the small area where she'd spend most of her days in.

Her nerves seemed to fade as she watched the man she'd known her whole life-but barely saw him more than a few times, introduce her to everything and anything in the cafe. He insisted she would fit right in as he gave her one last pat on the shoulder before sending her off with her new acquaintance, Sasha, another waitress who had nothing but encouraging words to give Beth. Sasha was like Beth in a sense; her sweet personality won over a lot of regulars in outskirts of the city.

"They'll love you here, especially the guys," Sasha nudged Beth's shoulder playful as she handed her a pouch along with a pen and paper. Beth rolled her eyes as she laughed at Sasha's comment. For just meeting the girl, Beth knew they'd become great friends.

"Psh, whatever," Beth hummed to herself while Sasha got around what was needed for Beth; Dale's orders.

"Alright, I'm just kidding! Anyways, down to serious business. You'll handle the first shuffle of people that come in for our lunch specials. Dale definitely has confidence in you if you're starting off around this time!" Beth's eyes widened a little at Sasha who shrugged her shoulders, signaling to Beth that it wouldn't be a big problem.

"Just stay polite, which I'm sure won't be a problem, and smile. People tip when you smile," Sasha patted Beth on the back before heading out of the back room, leaving Beth alone to collect her thoughts before heading out herself. She searched the pale green walls around her, looking through the pictures of employees throughout the years as their laughs were caught in time forever and posted on the board. She smiled at the picture of Sasha and Dale marked "First Day". Everyone seemed to have one and she doubted she'd be the first without. Smoothing the edges of her blouse, Beth walked towards the open door, breathing in one last time before making her way to the first group of people entering the door.

…

Time went by slowly; five-thirty seemed to freeze on the wall clock as shadows grew on the creamy white walls. The day seemed to drag on for Daryl as he watched reruns of infomercials with his mind wandering aimlessly. Staying put in the house for so long made his body itch for a weekend out in the woods. Since he was jobless and Beth would soon find work on the weekends, Daryl figured a hunting trip would take place soon, maybe even with Merle. Daryl tipped his head back onto the cushion and closed his eyes, trying to make time go faster by resting for a while. He hadn't had the effort to change out of his sleepwear; sweats and no shirt were the best he could do today.

Merle had only come out of his room once to take a piss and grab a few beers, nodding at his brother in the process before shutting himself back into isolation. The brothers weren't much for spending quality time together unless their plans involved the outdoors or women. Little did Beth know, Daryl and Merle only conversed when she was around. Other than that, they stuck to their routines in silence, avoiding small talk in the process.

Sleep barely started to invade Daryl's mind before a pounding on the door instinctively brought him to his feet. The clock shown six thirty, almost time for Beth to come home, but she would've simply opened the door with her key if it was her. The banging continued as drunken yells followed.

"Beth! Get your ass out her! We gotta talk 'bout some stuff," Daryl drew the curtain back from the front window, revealing a young, drunken man at the door obviously upset with Beth. Daryl rubbed his forehead while he tried to sort out who this man was. He knew Beth well enough to know she wasn't sneaking around with this idiot, but he also knew she would tell him if anyone would be around. His heart sank, hoping she wasn't seeing anyone else. Though they weren't dating, Daryl gave himself to Beth like he had never done before with any woman; she had a hold on his heart, but he couldn't admit that to her just yet.

The loud thumps increased the longer Daryl waited to open the door. He wasn't in any rush to be confronted with a intoxicated fool once again. Finally swinging the door open, he was introduced with the rancid smell of alcohol radiating off of the man. His posture straightened as he looked at Daryl with confusion at first, then rage. Daryl watched as he fumbled with the empty beer bottle in his hand before throwing it into the yard, still keeping his eyes on the shirtless man standing in Beth's house.

"Who the hell are you?" The young man's slurred voice caused Daryl to laugh while he leaned on the side of the door, watching his body sway.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl repeated the guy's question, making him walk closer to the door; his bloodshot eyes sent nothing but ineffective intimidation. He wiped his mouth before replying.

"Zach, Beth's boyfriend. Now get the fuck out outta here," Daryl moved away from Zach's attempt to grab his shoulder. His blood started to boil as he watched the drunken idiot move forward without much thought. He finally put two and two together, realizing who this worthless piece of shit was. Daryl took his place in between Zach and the living room, making sure he couldn't get past the front door.

"You're that asshole who thinks it's okay to put your hands on women, huh?" Zach looked up at Daryl and laughed, burping the process.

"Bitch deserved it. Tryna to leave me. We're together and that's how it's always been," His breath brushed against Daryl's face as they stood inches apart. Daryl's chest started to tighten as he watched Zach; his fist clenched tightly, waiting for him to try and attack. Naturally, Daryl had it in him to protect. This was no exception, even if Beth wasn't around.

"Best watch your mouth, Sunshine," Daryl's jaw clenched as the words came out rough. Nothing pissed him off more than a prick who couldn't respect women. Zach caught on to Daryl's soft spot, realizing the rough and tough man before him had a thing for what was rightly his, "Get the fuck outta here or else you'll be sorry you stayed."

"Listen here redneck, she's mine. So you _best watch your mouth _before we have some problems," Zach mocked Daryl, refusing to give up on the pointless debating. Daryl's vision started to blur as the kid went on even though he wasn't listening. All he could see was Beth's body being thrown to the ground by the drunken mess before him. He could only picture her trying to protect herself with useless attempts while Zach broke her down hit by hit.

"Who's this prick?" Daryl's thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind him. Merle made his way to the open door, watching his brother block a young, obviously drunk guy from coming inside. Already upset because of being woken up from loud voices out front, Merle didn't find it in himself to feel anything but pissed off. He watched his brothers body language; he knew shit wasn't going to fly well.

"This is tha asshole who put his hands on Beth," Daryl kept his head turned towards Zach, never leaving his gaze off of him. Zach watched the two rough men, regretting at once his decision to come back to Beth's after what seemed like months of not having contact with her. He wanted her back, but not enough to mess with her new, much stronger men.

"Hm, looks like yer regrettin' comin' around now, huh?" Merle's head was clear and set on one thing, just the same as his brother's, only Daryl's mind raced with rage. Zach backed up slowly, though he kept his mouth going.

"Nah, man. Beth's mine. Now get the hell out of _my_ house," His words came out uncertain; Merle laughed behind Daryl as he shook his head.

"Ah, lil brother, this kid has a lot ta learn," Before Zach had a chance to defend himself Daryl grabbed at his white shirt, pulling him in and shutting the door behind them. His grip loosened as he threw the drunken guy to the ground without much thought to his comfort. Zach rubbed his arm, wincing at the pain crawling up his shoulder. Merle watched his brother, letting him grab the guy, dragging him off the floor without effort. Daryl's bent over just low enough to meet with Zach's worried eyes.

"This ain't your house," Before Zach had time to speak his vision went black and his head was thrown back. He hadn't known what hit him until the two men were on top of him, breaking him down on the living room floor. Rage flew through their fists, meeting Zach's face with powerful force. Blood seeped through their closed hands as he attempted to cover his face.

"Whassa matter kid? How's it feel to be beat on?" Merle's voice carried loudly around the room as Daryl kept silent, keeping his blows in short range to Zach's face. When their rage calmed down Zach fell backwards into a bloody mess, barely conscious and moaning in pain. Daryl spat onto his shirt, grabbing onto him one more time.

"Better stay away from Beth or else you're dead next time," His assertive words went through to Zach as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The two brother's grabbed his sides, lifting him up and leading him onto the sidewalk. His body collapsed on the ground before Daryl kicked him one last time, letting go of the hatred towards him.

"Now fuck off," Merle spat on the ground next to him before shutting the door behind his brother and him. The two exchanged looks before going their separate ways once again, leaving Daryl to clean up the mess on the floor before Beth came back from her first day. He made sure Zach found his way out of their street as he sat down on the couch once again looking past the hypnotizing infomercial like nothing had happened.


	11. Chapter 11

"Thanks again, Sasha," The dim parking lot felt more of a ghost town than ever as the two women disconnected their cars. Sasha's laugh filled the silent air, making Beth feel much better about her situation. It was a fact she didn't want to admit out loud; her trusty vehicle was coming undone too quick for her liking. Hesitation was out of the question for Sasha when Beth approached prior, timidly asking for a little help with her battery. Sasha wasn't one to be shy and gave her nothing more than a grand smile before searching through her trunk for jumper cables. Laughter filled the air once again as Beth raised her hands in triumph, hearing the car roar to life with the start of her ignition.

"Yeah, yeah. No problem! Just call me tomorrow 'cause I know you'll need a ride," Beth rolled her eyes at her newly found friend and also coworker. Shifting into drive, Beth made her way past Sasha, waving before making her way back home. For the first time in weeks the restrictive hold on her heart loosened just a bit while she listened to her music a little louder than she normally did. Putting away all of the pain she'd felt lately made room for a new sense of duty in her life now. A job and new scenery was needed to recover from late nights of mourning for Merle's lose and thinking about memories of her father's passing.

...

Beth was pleased with herself for being back in the work area of adulthood. The day ran more smoothly than she had expected; Dale and Sasha were all too right about Beth getting along just fine with the costumers. It was breath of fresh air to see new, fresh faces. They all seemed to empathize for her whenever she would mess up their order, though they all commented she did a great job for it being her first day. The majority of people she met were regulars and quite frankly knew who she was already. Most of them were friends with Dale, meaning they somehow knew who her family was one way or another. None of them mentioned her father or mother once, which set well with her. Beth did hear plenty of compliments from the majority of them, especially the older men. They all welcomed her into the business kindly with their kind words and definitely their tips.

Dale of course insisted at the end of the night to get her 'first day' picture just as everyone else had, as she expected. Beth's objections were cut short by the blinding flash of the old fashioned camera, making them all chuckle at her slight groan and rubbing of her eyes. The cook and another staff member, Kennedy and Lee made it out of their way to welcome her with opening arms before Sasha and Beth made their way out into the parking lot together. 'See ya tomorrow's' were exchanged with a warm feeling in Beth's chest. Her cheeks ached from the consistent smiling throughout the day, so she was glad to finally relax her face before biting her lip to hold down her smile once more.

...

Turning onto her street, Beth couldn't wait to bring home her first day stories to tell to the Dixon brothers. Days were brighter for her; the least she could do was try and cheer them up, maybe even motive them to get out of the house too. She understood it was nice to crawl up in a ball and become nocturnal, even despise the outside world, but she made a promise to herself to bring them out of their shells.

Consumed deep in her thoughts and the music drowning out the world around her, Beth realized her body was in autopilot as she made her way into the short gravel driveway. The car muttered for a second before her hand switched the key off and out of the ignition, letting the sudden silence surround her. Street lights behind her switched on to reveal the true darkness that descended through the street. Taking in her surroundings, Beth opened the car door quickly, adjusting to the dim yard around her with clumsy steps. The front door in front of her was cracked only a little bit. Her sudden happiness from earlier was cut short as she realized the only light coming from the house appeared to be the soft glow of television. Her heart beat fiercely against her chest as she gave way to the door.

The silent dark room made Beth hesitant to walk in completely. Her vision adjusted slightly as she entered in, looking to her left to find Daryl fast asleep on the couch. Relief flooded her. _Merle must've had a smoke break and forgot to close the door. _She reassured herself before closing it softly behind her. She hadn't realized how late she actually was; nine-thirty appeared on the wall clock before her. _Dammit. _Beth didn't like when she was late, promising Daryl an arrival around seven should have been set in stone. She figured he didn't have much panic since his soft snores led her to believe he had something to drink earlier before setting him asleep earlier than he usually did.

Beth slipped off her shoes and jacket quietly. Disappointment started to rise in her; she wanted to share her day with Daryl, but that'd have to wait until tomorrow. Her feet led her towards the coffee table to retrieve the remote. The room became pitch black as her finger pressed the power button. She awkwardly tried to set the remote down in silence without success. The sudden rattle of wood and plastic awoke Daryl without Beth's notice.

"What'd ya turn it off for?" Beth jumped at the sound of his groggy voice. She could hear the smirk on his face simply through his strong southern accent. Color rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Just thought you'd like to sleep in peace and quiet," Beth's eyes adjusted to his features, taking in the tired man before her. His body lay awkwardly on the futon, sitting upright while sleeping never seemed to do anyone justice. She took her spot next to him, leaning her head onto his chest as she let her body relax from the long day she had.

"How was it?" Daryl's voice cleared from his sleep. Beth shrugged her shoulders as she propped her throbbing feet onto the coffee table, suddenly exhausted as soon as she felt the warmth of his chest next to her.

"I really like it there," She smiled warmly thinking back to earlier. Daryl's body seemed tense as she twisted to her side, looking at his face which was only inches away, "There's some great people there. Sasha, Dale. They're all great," He nodded silently, looking down as he tried to keep his thoughts strictly on Beth's day, not his own. She sensed something was wrong as he kept nodding even when she stopped talking.

"What's the matter?" Beth raised an eyebrow as he kept his face turned downwards still. They sat in silence as Daryl considered on whether or not she should know about Zach's visit.

"Daryl."

"Yeah?" He looked up at her questioning eyes. There was a long pause.

"What's the matter?" She let her hand fall onto his thigh at the end of her question. It became a natural thing to her whenever she felt the need to comfort him, though a lot of times he took it much more than just a comforting gesture. He adjusted himself uneasily under her stare.

"Your, uh, ex, Zach came over earlier," He considered not use of the term ex, but he mentally hit himself. _She wasn't sneakin' around with him. _He didn't want to think she'd be seeing someone who beat on her, though he was confused as to why he'd come to her house months after they broke up. Beth's mouth parted slightly.

"He did..?" She didn't know why she was surprised. He was a persistent asshole all throughout their relationship. Beth was just concerned about the fact that he came months later instead of a day after their breakup. Daryl fidgeted with his hands, showing Beth his scabbed knuckles. Instinctively Beth grabbed at one hand, holding it in her soft grip. He pulled away quickly, making her furrow her brows.

"He was bein' a prick to my brother 'n me," He looked at her full on now, "Sayin' shit 'bout you. He got what he deserved," Beth grabbed his hand once again, intertwining her fingers this time. Daryl's heart sped up as she leaned on him with more weight than before. An understanding smile flooded her face.

"Thank you," Beth placed a kiss on his cheek as another reassuring sign of appreciation. He was glad it was dark in the room, afraid of Beth seeing his skin turn color. Lately she was more affectionate towards him, especially since some nights, when she was too consumed in sadness, Daryl would work his way into her bedroom to lay with her as she cried into his chest. He knew their bond was something more than friendship, but not necessarily relationship material just _yet_. The thought of that made him flustered. Beth's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Did he hurt you?" Daryl laughed. He thought back to the drunken kid beneath him with his blood stained face barely aware of what city he was even in. He shook his head at her.

"Nah, Merle got 'hold of him too," He was surprised to hear a faint giggle from her.

"This sounds bad, but I'm glad Merle got his anger out of him," She smiled to herself thinking of Merle finally releasing his pent up emotions on something more than himself. She knew Zach deserved every last bit of knuckle he had received from the Dixon brothers. There was no doubt in Beth's mind that he wouldn't come around anytime soon as long as they stuck by her side.

Daryl's eyes flickered up at her, "He was drunk 'n sayin' you were his. Like you were a damn cat 'er somethin'."

"Possessive. That's how he always was," She didn't like the fact that her good day was closing with a conversation about Zach and her old relationship. Silence fell over them again before Daryl couldn't keep it in him any longer.

"He said you guys were still together," Beth lowered her head, watching her hand make small circles on his lap. She could hear a hint of pain in his voice. But, why?

"You know that's not true," Beth lifted her gaze away from his thigh, looking at his emotionless face, "Daryl, he was drunk. Obviously he didn't have the wits to steer clear of my house. He definitely didn't have a filter either."

His emotions conflicted briefly as he listened to her consoling words. He didn't want to be reassured and if so, what for? Why was he acting like they were together? He nodded his head in agreement to her statement. He couldn't deny the feeling he was starting to feel towards the blonde he spent all of his free time with. Hell, he lived in her house for months now, of course he couldn't deny the growing emotions he felt as he spent more and more time wrapped up in the small southern bell.

Beth watched his face change into multiple emotions that seemed to collide all at once. She wasn't blind; he had been warming up to her small touches of affection ever since she had allowed him into her bed for comfort at night at her darkest hours. She knew she started to feel the same things as him, though she wanted to believe she wasn't just being delusional about the whole thing. Beth realized he was showing her a softer side of him lately. Conflicting thoughts caught her attention, thoughts she wanted to deny. She didn't really know what he was like around other people. Maybe he wasn't that bad around other women. She knew men and him didn't mix well, but she couldn't imagine him being as kind as he was to her towards anyone else.

They caught each other's gaze for a long moment, taking in their thoughts silently. The two fought an internal battle against their growing feelings. Neither of them wanted to admit to the other how they were feeling. Both were too afraid to jump into new waters. Daryl hadn't ever felt this way, though Beth hadn't felt the warmth of a man's heart in what seemed like forever. Daryl broke off their staring contest first, holding onto Beth's soft hand unconsciously tighter.

"You know," Beth caught the courage to move her lips. She didn't want to regret anything she would say to Daryl, but she wanted to break away from their last conversation about her, "You're a great man, Daryl," He grunted towards her, obviously amused, "You _are._"

Her emphasis caught his attention. Though he wasn't good at accepting compliments. He looked up at her again, taking in her honest face.

"Ain't many good people in this world," Beth let go of his hand and tucked in a fallen hair from her ponytail. She wished for once he would give in to kind words.

"There are still good people in this world you know," She smiled contagiously at him. He shook away his growing smile, "You know I'm right."

"I'm startin' ta believe that now," Beth unknowingly held her breath as he looked towards her with such emotion, making her realize for the first time Daryl was giving her more than just a compliment on how she outwardly looked out of simply kindness. She was confused at first by his statement, but his stare pierced into her fiercely. For the first time, Beth knew she had given Daryl hope in a world full of destructive, dark people.

**A/N: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter. There may have been some grammar mistakes because I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible! Hope you enjoyed the Bethyl moment. :) They're starting to warm up to each other on a deeper level and I love developing that type of relationship. Hope you all are enjoying still and I'd love to keep hearing your input! xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl woke to soft sounds coming out of the kitchen. His body was numb from falling asleep on the futon upright once again; hazy memory of Beth curled up next to his chest caressed his mind while he sorted out dreams from reality. The spot next to him was empty as he looked onto where her body was curled up for most of the night, keeping him company instead of making her way to her much more comfortable bed. He remembered how they had sat together, silence expanding throughout the room. She had fallen asleep before him, making small movements as she dreamt beneath his arm. He watched her in admiration. Nothing seemed more calm in the world than her subtle breathing onto his chest. Beth's hair connected to his jaw as he leaned his head onto hers while taking his time to finally close his eyes for the night.

The room's pale walls mixed with the sun's early morning rays. The television was muted, but still hummed softly as the silent news reporters kept with their bland scripts. His eyes fluttered towards the kitchen, still listening to soft clattering of pots and pans. Breakfast smells flooded his nostrils while he stretched his stiff body, listening for more than just one person in the kitchen. Instead, he heard nothing but Beth's voice starting up, faint at first, but the longer he listened, the better her could make out her pleasing words.

"_Secrets I have held in my heart, are harder to hide than I thought," _She paused for a second before the sound of the faucet made way, though she continued, "_Maybe I just wanna be yours. I wanna be yours, I wanna be yours.." _He took his time as he listened to her voice echo through the walls, waking his mind up pleasantly. Daryl hadn't heard her sing much, but the times she would, he couldn't help but stop and listen. She hummed to the tune of the song as Daryl made his way to the kitchen, leaning on the wall while he watched her, still consumed in the cooking and song. A smirk grew on his face as she turned around, obviously aware of his presence. He looked her over; she must've changed into pyjamas sometime in the middle of the night and yet she still came back to sleep next to him. The thought made his smile grow even more as she walked over, wrapping her arms around his neck for a quick hug.

"Morning," Beth's eyes flickered up at him while she fought a smile with biting her lip.

"Mornin'," They lingered only for a little bit together before Beth collapsed her arms and went back to her work. Daryl listened to the sizzle of bacon in the small greased pan with a low grumble starting in his stomach. The only thing he had yesterday was alcohol, really.

"Mind if you wake your brother up? He really needs to get out of that damn room," Daryl chuckled at her swearing. _Rubbin' off on her. _He nodded towards her before making his way to Merle's door. He could hear a loud groan after banging on the door obnoxiously, letting Merle enjoy his hangover even more. The door creaked open, revealing his brother's dark circled eyes that barely opened just enough for him to clench his jaw at Daryl.

"'The hell you wakin' me up for? Ain't even past seven yet," Merle groaned as Daryl nodded his head toward the singing starting up once again and making its way through the house. Merle grunted, "Yer lucky yer girly friend makes some good food or else I'd be goin' back ta sleep," Daryl shook his head before getting a the door shut in his face. He rolled his eyes as he made his way back to the amazing aroma that made his mouth water.

Beth's voice again turned into a hum while Daryl took a seat at the small table near the open window. Unlike Merle, Daryl was an early riser and he was just as glad to see Beth was the same. He watched the way her gray eyes lit up every time they would wake up together. She gave him more energy throughout the day than coffee ever would.

"He coming?" Beth placed a dish in front of Daryl filled with nothing but delicious food even Beth was impressed to make. She had woken up very early and very awake. Cooking the Dixons breakfast save her from leaving for work too early.

"Yeah, once he stops actin' like a lil bitch," Beth sat down next to him, "Old man can't handle his own booze 'nymore," She smiled at him while he went away at his food, not minding table manners. Beth was too full as it is because of her multiple tastes tests in between her cooking.

"I get out of work around four today. Wanna go do something?" Beth watched the man work his way through half of his scramble eggs. Sometimes his rough exterior turned into a childlike state. She laughed at the left over eggs on his mouth before shaking her head.

He mumbled for a little bit, making Beth lean over towards him with exaggeration. He shook his fork while he cleared his mouth of any food, "What ya got in mind?" She kept her gaze on him, holding her head in both hands, admiring him in the process.

"I dunno, anything really. Maybe even take Merle along. You two've been cooped up too long in here," Merle emerged from the living room, interrupting Beth while he plopped next to her. He covered his eyes and groaned into the table. Beth glanced at Daryl as she tried to hold in laughs, "Morning, Sunshine," Beth nudged the exhausted man's body. He did nothing more but shove his face into the crease of his elbow.

"Ya act like ya never had a hangover 'fore," Daryl lifted the last of his breakfast into his mouth while watching his withdrawled brother, amused by his pain.

"Shut ya mouth. Ain't used ta dealin' with people so damn early. What's up with you people likin' the mornin'?" Merle lifted his head once Beth placed a plate in front of him. She laughed at the way his eyes lit up right away, taking a fork and diving in in record timing.

"Daryl and I were just discussing a way to get both of you out of this house. Maybe you two could even do something when I'm at work," Daryl raised his brow at her statement. They hadn't gone out together and actually enjoyed each other's presence in what seemed like forever. Beth's comment even got Merle's attention, "You two could go hunting or something. You guys always seem to talk about that whenever I'm trying to watch _good _movies."

"Can't stand that girly shit you women watch. 'Course anything's better than watchin' romance horse shit," Daryl smirked at Beth before shrugging his shoulders. Merle was extra sour today.

"Well anyways, it's not up for discussion. You two go do something and when I get home we'll all figure out a plan. Deal?" The Dixon brothers looked at the young blonde girl and couldn't help but melt into her hands. She was right, they needed to get out of the house or else they'd go stir crazy, but going together would be different.

"Fine," Merle managed to respond before chucking down a glass of orange juice. Beth smiled wide before kissing Daryl on the cheek and making her way into the bathroom to get ready. Merle watched his brother's face flush with color, knowing he'd get shit for that.

"So she is yer girlfriend, huh?" Merle flicked the fork at Daryl, who did nothing more than fidget with his napkin. When Daryl didn't respond, Merle continued, "Ain't nothin' ta be 'shamed of, lil brother. She's a keeper."

"Ain't my girlfriend," Daryl tried to sound annoyed, but he knew his brother said the words that he sort of wished were true. He had feelings for Beth, strong feelings and she didn't make them easy to deal with when she'd show him any type of slight affection.

"Mhm, keep denyin' it. I'm surprised ya lasted this long with her without fuckin' it up. I give ya props," Daryl flipped his older brother off before leaving the table. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, _especially _with his brother. He left Merle alone in the kitchen and made his way to Beth's room.

Daryl kept all of his clothes in the extra space of her wardrobe. He didn't have much, so Beth insisted on letting him keep his things in drawers, not boxes. Sliding on a pair of clean jeans and a fresh t shirt, Daryl made his way to the bed to put on his boots. Beth reached her closest before realizing Daryl was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her stand in front of him with a towel wrapped around her body, wet hair clung to her skin. Her cheeks reddened as she watch him dip his head down and work faster at his boots.

"Sorry, I forgot to grab some clothes," Beth slid past him while picking her dress clothes out of the closet and making her way once again, past Daryl. He watched her leave quickly. They both were embarrassed and felt ridiculous too. It wasn't as if she was naked, and they were both grown. He finished tying up his boots and met Beth in the hallway.

She dressed in the bathroom quickly, coming through her hair while walking past Daryl and back into her room, smiling at him in the process. He ran a hand through his hair before walking out into the kitchen. _I feel like a damn teenager again. _

…

"Were you so excited to see me again you decided to come early?" Sasha nudged Beth's side while she tied her pouch across her hip. Sundays at the diner were pretty slow, Sasha explained-more complaining than anything-that she would most likely be able to leave early if the afternoon went good.

"Phew! This job is just so terrible, I was hoping I could leave as soon as possible!" Beth joked, smiling at Sasha, who held a hand on her hip.

"Someone sounds like they have a hot date tonight or something," She knew she got to Beth by the way she blushed and pulled at her sleeve. The girls looked at each other again before busting out in laughter.

"Oh yeah, totally," Beth grabbed her pen and pad before making her way to an elderly couple just entering to cafe. Sasha watched her new friend, wondering if she actually did have someone or if she was just going along with her own joke.

The day went on smoothly; Beth made much more out of tips than she even expected. She already attempted to remember the regulars' names while taking into consideration for the next time they made their way through. She loved her job, even on the second day she found her way around the cafe with ease. Dale was impressed and gave her quite a few pats on the back any time they ran into each other.

Her shift did end early, giving her about an hour extra to head home. Butterflies crept into her stomach thinking about going and actually doing something with the Dixons. She realized they really did nothing more then hang around the house, which wasn't bad, but she needed that extra change of scenery. Beth made her way through the heated Georgia streets, pulling into her empty driveway with ease. The rusted truck that usually sat next to her car had disappeared. She smiled as she found her house empty. The brothers actually went and spent time together. Nothing pleased her more than thinking of Merle and Daryl finally going out and spending time together.

Blonde hair fell out of her braid with ease as she combed through roughly and redid her hair into a messy bun. She shed off her work uniform and changed into shorts and a t-shirt, perfect for the hot afternoon. She looked at herself in the small bathroom mirror, taking in the natural look her face held. She had the ability to show off natural beauty unlike most women and that she was thankful of. While she washed her face off Beth managed to hear a rhythmic trio of knocks on her front door. _Please god let this not be Zach. _

She grabbed the door with hesitation. She revealed two policemen in front of her, staring at her with their hands set on their hips. Beth brushed away a loose strand of hair before looking into the eyes of the sheriff nearest her. He attempted to smile at her, which brought her down from the anxiety rising up. The man behind him though made her uncomfortable. His stare was intimidating, as if he was accusing her of something she hadn't done.

"Are you Beth Greene?" The man with gray scruff spoke with authority, but he wasn't cruel. She nodded her head to confirm, "I'm Sheriff Rick Grimes. This here's deputy Shane Walsh. Thought we could have a talk with the two men that live here with you. Daryl and Merle Dixon?" He watched her shift uncomfortably.

"They're not here right now," Her voice carried low, "Why do you need to talk to them, exactly?" Rick Grimes looked back at his partner.

"Well, we got a call yesterday from Zach Bassinger. Says your boys harassed him and then decided to beat on him for no apparant reason," Shane but in as he explained complete lies. Beth watched the man accuse Daryl and Merle as if he knew exactly what went down.

"That's complete crap," Rick raised his eyebrows at the young girl before him. He could tell she was getting angry, "Zach came _here _looking for _me. _They were doing nothing wrong. He should've kept himself off my property and kept away. Maybe I should fill for all the times he beat on me before I let that asshole go."

The three stood together in her front lawn discussing what truly happened while the Dixon brothers pulled in. Merle looked at his brother's worried face before stepping out of the truck. They both were used to cops hunting them down, but lately they hadn't run into them, until now. _Shit. _Both brothers watched the cops make their way from Beth to them.

"Whatcha here for officers?" Merle leaned on his truck, watching the two eye him. Daryl stood next to him with his hands in his pockets. He stole a glance at Beth who stood at the door, her eyes never leaving Daryl.

"We were just discussing why you two almost killed a kid half your age," Rick wiped sweat from his brow. The heat burned through his heavy uniform.

"Prick deserved it for trespassin'," Daryl looked away from Beth and at the two men in front of him. He didn't have time to deal with questioning.

"Spose you two didn't know he was hittin' on that girl over there, hm? May have ta look over what he said 'cause he sure as hell ain't no angel," Merle spit at the ground next to him. Rick looked over at his partner before looking back at the rough men before him. He couldn't understand how a young, good looking girl would stick around with two rednecks who seemed to be nothing but trouble. They stood for a second before Rick shifted his weight.

"We've heard her side of the story. We'll let this one slide because we don't think she's lying. He deserves what he got if that's the case," Shane shook his head. He was ready to take them to the station, "But if we hear about you two causing any more trouble, you're out of luck. Agreed?" Rick shook his hand out to Merle but was denied. Instead, Daryl took his hand, surprising not only the police officers, but Merle too.

"See ya 'round," Shane commented before the two went on their way. Merle cursed at the man underneath his breath. He couldn't stand cops, especially ones like him.

Beth smiled at Daryl who came up to her first, obviously not caring much about the cops arriving. Her eyes flickered to his and down at her feet; he made her chest tighten anytime he looked at her that way.

"They got nothin' better ta do I swear. Damn pigs," Merle wouldn't let go. He hated cops and saw them way too much. It was his own fault though, he couldn't stay out of trouble, ever.

"They're gone now. What were you guys up to?" Beth was interested on what they did while she was away at work.

"Huntin'," Daryl's voice perked up. Even Merle smiled a bit at the sound of the word. Beth was more than glad to see they got along and did what they were meant to do.

"You boys will have to teach me sometime!" Beth smiled.

"How's 'bout we go back? Ain't ever spend enough time in the woods," Merle suggested just what Beth wanted. She looked up at Daryl who seemed to agree silently. She clapped her hands before closing the door behind her. Merle left to two at the door, walking back to the truck and starting it up. Daryl and Beth stood close together for a little while longer.

"Hope I'm not too bad with my aim," Beth watched his eyes change as she looked at his blue eyes turning a shade darker, "You'll have to keep me steady. Think you can manage?" Beth's voice struck Daryl as she raised an eyebrow. There was no doubt in his mind she was flirting with him.

"You'll be an expert by the time I'm done with ya," Beth's heart leaped at his whisper in her ear. She had never heard him speak to her like that. His accent was strong as well as his desire for her seeping through his words. At that point, she knew Daryl was giving her a hint she wanted to hear. Biting her lip, Beth looked up at Daryl as he waited for her reply. He didn't know what came over him, but he knew he couldn't help the tension between them. Beth's cheeks blushed once again as Merle yelled at the "two lovebirds" to get their asses moving. They looked at each other once more before heading towards the truck, their minds on each other instead of preparing for target practice.

**A/N: Hey guys! This ones a pretty long chapter, but I'm satisfied with it. I wanted to hint at Daryl and Beth wanting more than just "friendship". What do you all think? What would you like to see happen between the two? I hope you guys are enjoying it still! I love your support, it makes my heart happy :). xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

"Stay steady," Daryl's hands collapsed onto Beth's shaking arms, "Don't shoot 'less you're ready." The sun beat down on the pair, bringing sweat droplets racing down their foreheads while trying to concentrate on the antagonizing target ahead. Gravity made her arms scream against the heavy weight in her hands; sweat found its way in between her fingers and the hefty bow that rested much easier in Daryl's hands beforehand. The wood's silenced briefly as her senses fell numb to just one while she let her vision narrow. Both held their breath unknowingly as Beth closed in on her target, placing her finger onto the trigger while she eased in with pressure slowly. Her heart seemed to skip a beat once the trigger released the ammunition needed to complete their day. They both let out the breath being held with anticipation after looking at Beth's accomplishment. Daryl raised his eyebrows in surprise to the young blonde's abilities. She wasn't used to the weight of his crossbow, but she didn't seem to have a problem with getting the arrow where it needed to be.

Walking up to the target, Daryl yanked free the bolt and looked back at Beth who attempted to hold back a smile. She herself didn't have much faith in her abilities, but Daryl's silent awe had her stomach doing flips. If it wasn't for her lack of boasting-type ego she wouldn't have kept her excitement inside. Instead she bit her lip and looked up at Daryl, watching a smirk attempt to crawl up his face as he gladly took his weapon from her hands.

They had only ventured out into the woods a few hours beforehand and already the sun started to descend between the trees, leaving few patches of light scattered along the dirt floor beneath them. Daryl patiently taught Beth the simple tricks of the trade and yet here she was an hour later, shooting as if she had done this every day, no problem. He had underestimated the determination Beth Greene sought out from within herself whenever she was given the chance to learn something new. Granted, it wouldn't have been her first time handling a weapon, but it was her first holding anything other than her father's rifle, of course. She was only small then and this felt completely different. Her senses were more aware, more concentrated than when she simply shot without a second thought as a child. The difference was good; Beth couldn't deny the desire to stay out in the woods all night with the Dixon brothers, although she knew times like this would run short.

Daryl tipped his head towards the canopy above and sighed. He hadn't appreciated night's sneak attack on his time with Beth. His eyes flickered across the darkening sky. Beth stood next to him while she scanned the small opening where they spent much of the late afternoon. She wondered only briefly where Merle had gone off too. He had left the pair once he figured Beth had no issues when it came to handling her choice of weapons, making his way into his own solitude in the woods, alone and willing to use anything as target practice. She squinted in the direction where he quietly disappeared, attempting to seek any sort of reappearance without much luck.

"We should find your brother," Beth broke the silence between them, only receiving a nod in agreement from Daryl. Her adrenaline from having something that brought power to her obvious less than strong physicalities had run its course. Her arms were numb and her mind was ready to turn in for the night. Beth looked at Daryl once more to see him scanning the line of trees around them. She studied his face silently, taking in his tense expression while his eyes flashed from place to placed rapidly. There was no doubt something was on his mind and Beth knew better to think he was only thinking of locating his brother. Daryl wasn't a simple minded man, contrasting his lack of vocab efforts, she started to realize there was more bubbling underneath his taut surface.

A few minutes passed by before any type of man-made noise made way to the opening in the middle of the woods. Beth ventured into the passenger side of the rusted out truck right after Daryl made it clear he had faith in his brother returning soon. Merle appeared through the brush not as silent as he did going in. His brother brushed off a few prickers before making his way to the truck. He could tell Merle had done nothing more than wander aimlessly in the woods with his thoughts, alone and quiet.

There was a much less than comfortable tight squeeze in Merle's truck as they ventured out of the darkened woods. Beth was pressed between the two Dixon boys in a surprisingly close fit. She felt as if they were sardines ready to burst once someone took the top of their can off. Though it was a tight squeeze, they didn't complain.

They rode in silence, making way to the main road leading about forty minutes back into the outskirts of the city. Daryl drove with one hand on the wheel and the other snaking across the back of Beth's body, though he wasn't quite touching her shoulders. He did this out of habit of his normal driving routine, but realized how much better it was having Beth there. Merle's thigh kept contact with Beth's, but only because he couldn't get any closer to the door unless he decided to open the door and tumble out altogether. He didn't mind being close to his brother's friend, but he wanted nothing to do with human touch ever since he felt Carol's weight in his arms all too long ago. Beth noticed his discomfort and moved closer to Daryl, making _him _feel a different level of discomfort. There was no way around the somewhat awkward silence filling the car until they all perked up at the signs reading city limits.

The truck made its way past the closed diner and close to Beth's street before red and blue lights came into the rear-view mirror. Beth turned her head and watched two speeding cop cars fly past their pulled over vehicle with curiosity. Just as Daryl attempted to turn back out into the road a fire engine roared past along with the police vehicles, making their way onto Merle and Daryl's street. Daryl met glances with Merle as he pulled out and followed the rushing vehicles as well. Beth sat confused for a moment; she never had the chance to actually ask them where they lived and only knew that their old residence wasn't far.

The blue and red flashing lights appeared again. This time they stayed put in front of a house engulfed with fierce orange flames. Immediately Beth felt the truck's brakes work the best they had in years. Her body jolted forward only to have the seatbelt jerk her back. She looked at Daryl, watching his body tense up as he turned off the truck in the middle of the street. Both Merle and him exited the vehicle without any words to match what they were doing. Quickly undoing her belt, Beth hurried to the brothers' sides while they walked towards the small house crumbling underneath the blazing inferno. As if under a trance both men stopped in unison before hitting the edge of the road.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask to you to step away," A burly officer blocked Merle from going any closer to the glowing destruction. He cursed incoherently at the man before proceeding onto the lawn, giving the officer a harder time than he really needed, "Sir, do not go any closer! Step back from the property!" The officer's shouts somehow got to Merle and, for the first time, he listened to someone other than himself. Merle walked back towards his brother and shook his head.

"How tha hell did this happen," Merle grunted to his brother. Beth still stood between them in confusion. It took her a while to realize that this must've been where they were living before. This was their house up in flames. She looked at Daryl as she wrapped her small hand onto his arm, bringing his attention away from the fire and onto her eyes.

"Was this..." She only managed to get two words out before her shook his head. She could see the sadness in his eyes, but she also took in the dull blue color that took over. He wasn't too shaken, only a little upset to see something he once owned destroyed and illuminating their faces. A different officer joined the trio watching the flames, making her presence obvious.

"Are you people the owners of this house?" Her voice was dry and monotone. Daryl managed a quiet yes before rubbing his hand from his forehead through his hair.

"I'm officer Anthony. Michonne's fine though," Her demeanor was more chalonte than the previous officer. Beth was the only one paying any attention to Michonne as she continued, "We got a call not too long ago about a house fire. No one was around, obviously," Making reference to the three just arriving, "But this looks like nothing more than accidental. Most likely electrical issues. Your neighbors spotted flames starting from the kitchen."

Beth grabbed Daryl's hand, wrapping her fingers with his just to get any sort of his attention away from the dying flames and back into the conversation. Beth's tactic worked, making Daryl look down at her and their hands and then back onto the police officer. Michonne's arms wrapped together above her chest as she waited for anything other than staring. With no luck, she went on.

"Do you have anywhere else you can stay?" Daryl looked towards Beth again, watching her shake her head in agreement.

"We ain't been here in a while," Daryl finally broke away from his trance. He watched Michonne raise an eyebrow before pursing her lips.

"Good, good. Looks like they're almost done anyways. How about you give me a number and address so we can start to discuss damage, cause, and whatnot," Daryl numbly wrote down everything before the three were left alone once again to watch the firefighters hose down the rest of the burning chars. The house collapsed before them, leaving nothing but scattered ashes and smoke slithering up into the sky. A moment went on a little longer before Daryl rubbed his free hand through his hair once again and made his way back to the truck with Beth close by. Merle took a little longer, but finally released his gaze from the house and walked slowly back to the vehicle as well. They all climbed in and kept their eyes anywhere except on each other. Daryl started the vehicle, taking a few times to twist the key before the engine roared to life. Beth kept her hand on his thigh throughout the short drive home, tracing mindless patterns into the denim quietly, attempting to subconsciously ease her mind and calm his as well.

The truck puttered in the gravel driveway briefly before silencing under Daryl's orders. Merle left the two immediately, making his way into the house and disappearing for the rest of the night most likely. The pair sat in the dark vehicle, sitting close to each other in silence. Beth turned to look at the faint features of the man next to her. Once her eyes adjusted more she could make out the tired look in his face. Though he hadn't thought much of the house he used to reside in, he still was troubled that it was now completely gone. She could see it in the way he stared off into the property that he wasn't completely okay with losing that part of him just yet. Beth took her hand and moved his head to meet her gaze. She watched his eyes flicker down and then to her own eyes.

"I'm sorry this happened," Beth started to speak, but didn't know what else to say. She couldn't completely tell if he was devastated or just in a state of shock. She kept her hand on his cheek momentarily until he bowed his head.

"S'okay. Just din' think so much bad shit could happen to us, that's all," Daryl's accent ran thick as well as the emotion in his voice. He wasn't on the verge of crying or releasing frustration, instead his voice was a step up from hurt. Beth chewed her lip and watched him a bit more before attempting to make him feel better.

"Wanna see the way I look at it?" Beth's voice was shaky at first. She didn't know how this would go, but she felt it was the right time. Daryl's head perked up a bit, making eye contact with her in his way of saying yes. She paused for a second before continuing, "I guess, out of all the bad things that have happened to you and your brother there is one good thing that's came out of it," Her nerves started to mix in her stomach while she watched Daryl. He sat quietly, waiting for her to finish, "I guess what I want to say is because of the bad things...we sort of, you know, we got to know each other. I guess that makes up for what's happened, right?" Beth held her breath as she waited for a response. Daryl kept his eyes on her's for a moment longer before giving her his final answer.

His arm dropped from the seat to her shoulders, pulling her into a sideways hug. His body turned towards her in the small confinement of the vehicle, wrapping his free arm around her as well. Beth pressed her head into his chest as she felt every single word he couldn't manage to say come through his hug like raging bullets. He held her tightly, letting her soft curls tickle the side of his face as he felt her head nudge closer to his chest. He let his grip on her loosen just a little bit, meeting her darkened eyes once again. There was no doubt in his mind that she was right. All of the bad things that happened to him lead him to her. She was his light at the end of the tunnel; a sense of hope in his shitty world. He brought a hand to her soft cheek, wiping away the escaped strands of hair from her loose ponytail before bringing her in. Their lips collided with all the intentions that Daryl had wanted. He let their mouths connect for a few moments, taking in the same emotions they both felt towards each other. Once they finally parted, Daryl saw what he felt. He knew she felt the same as him and even though they had this type of meeting before, there was no denying that that kiss set in stone concrete feelings for one another.


	14. Chapter 14

"_I gotcha now, fucker," His hands grasped Daryl's neck, pushing his body into the putrid, yellow carpet beneath their struggling bodies. The weight of his father forced out the last bit of breath he could suck in before his neck tightened the harder he struggled. Daryl's attempts were useless under his father's newfound strength. His vision crossed and focused again, staring into the bloodshot eyes burning through his own. Smoke surrounded his father's face as he dug his dirt ridden hands deeper into his own kin's neck, breaking way to blood soaked fingernails. Somehow Daryl managed to turn over, kicking his father off in the process. He gasped for air while clamping onto his neck that leaked profusely. _

_He flung his free hand to the ground, searching through the scattered broken beer bottles and cigarette buts for anything sharp enough to protect himself, but came up short. His drunken father's slurs were the only way Daryl could pinpoint where he was; smoke filled the room along with walls of orange rising from the ground. Daryl managed to bring himself onto his feet. His eyes flickered rapidly, trying to find an escape that was nowhere to be found. The room's windows and doors disappeared, leaving nowhere to go. His eyes watered as the heat rose and brought smoke further into his lungs. _

"_Ain't no where ta run now," His father's voice whispered near his ear, pulling him down onto the ground once more, "I told ya I'd find ya," Daryl watched the deranged man shift in front of him. Dark red crawled up his neck and covered his face while his eyes darkened into nothing more than endless black pits. His hand holding Daryl onto the ground-near new flames, formed into a sharp claw that practically had his helpless son seeing stars. Daryl attempted to speak to the devil before him, but his lungs filled with nothing more than ashes and smoke._

"_I'm takin' ya with me," His father's skin started to peel off, bringing down melting flesh and muscle. His face was beginning to liquify from the heat of the flames, slowly sinking into itself revealing an awful shade of white. His father's skull somehow managed to stay intact, taunting Daryl with rotten teeth smiling down at him, "Worthless piece of shit," The skull spit coals onto Daryl's face, "I'm takin' ya down. I'm takin' ya where people like us belong," The burning carpet collapsed behind them, revealing even more raging flames shooting up from beneath the earth. Daryl's body attempted to scramble back and away from the creature holding him down with no success. The claw around his neck gripped harder as the ground below them both gave way slowly. Daryl felt the heat rise under his clothes as his body sunk into the growing crack violently, sending him into the never end depths of the opening earth. His lunges finally started to work as blackness consumed his burning body, slowly taking him into the pits of hell. _

"Daryl, wake up!" Beth watched his eyes flicker consistently underneath his closed lids. His mouth mumbled incoherently as she shook his sweating body. Her heart skipped into her stomach at the sight of his wet body fighting off a nightmare. His hand gripped her wrist as he flung his eyes open, making her gasp at his wild look. The grip on Beth's wrist loosened after his heavy breathing subsided. She watched his eyes search the bedroom then her, and onto himself. They both sat in the silence of the room while Daryl's heart slowed down, letting his head take a hold onto reality and away from his dream.

"Daryl," Beth managed to catch his attention with her worried expression. She watched as he gripped his neck lightly, rubbing it slowly. His blue eyes searched his hand for something that wasn't there. He cleared his throat and found the smoke that once invaded his body had left.

"You're safe. Everything's okay," Daryl felt a warm hand collapse onto his bare chest. The comforting words made his muscles relax just a little more. Beth's eyes never left his changing face. The fear escaped, though a hint of confusion and calmness flooded his squinting eyes. "What happened?" Beth's concerns didn't phase him.

"My pops," He shifted uncomfortably underneath the warm sheets, "Dreamt he burnt the house down," Daryl remembered his father's face slowly morphing into a monster that he truly was. He replayed his skin melting, revealing his smiling skull. Beth watched Daryl's body tense once more before his hands connected to his face, rubbing away the rest of the dream.

She bit her lip while she watched the man next to her lift himself up from the bed and plant his feet onto the floor. The sun barely made an appearance in the small window closest to Beth and she felt the day would already be a start for the two. Her eyes followed his moving body until he disappeared into the hallway. Seconds later a faint sound of water running caught her attention. Still sitting in the mess of sheets, Beth came to the conclusion she wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep. With as much strength her mind allowed, she let her body slide off the bed. The cold floor sent a small shiver up her spine, instantly making her arms cross over her chest while she searched the wooden dresser for a sweatshirt.

She ventured past the occupied bathroom and into the dimly lit livingroom. Standing in the middle of the room she listened to the noises around her. The shower hummed behind her as well as Merle's loud snores. The wall clock revealed six-thirty. Beth sighed before making her way into the kitchen; a small headache started to grow within the back of her head. There was nothing more to do than make up breakfast, though she didn't have the energy to do so. For some reason she felt drained and sluggish. Her harsh wake up call didn't do her justice. She shook her head as she remembered the stirring in bed next to her; Daryl's mumbles made Beth's eyes fly open as she tried to wake the dreaming man and save him from himself.

The morning dragged on while the two ate their breakfast quietly. Beth gave Daryl his time to recoup while they both finished their food, sitting close to each other in the small space given. Merle emerged not long after, eating his food without a word to them both. Beth's attempts at lightening the mood weren't much use, but she still kept the conversation, even though it was mostly one sided.

"When are they supposed to come and talk to you guys?" She caught Merle's glance before he dipped his head down once more, ignoring the question altogether. He wasn't ready to deal with cops again and he sure as hell didn't want to hear about the house.

"Supposed ta come whenever," Daryl offered her an answer that was good enough. They sat once again without words as they finished their meal in silence.

…

"Hello," Beth opened the door to the officer she met the night before and welcomed her in. Michonne nodded her head before entering, surveying the small house her and another coworker, Rick Grimes pulled up to just moments ago. Beth's smile met hers as she offered a spot at the small table for the pair. They both took a seat across from the Dixon brothers while the men fidgeted with their hands beneath the table.

"Got any idea how tha son of'a bitch caught on fire?" Merle's voice surprised Beth. His tone was harsh, but she knew he wanted nothing more than answers. Michonne glanced at Rick before putting her elbows on the table, fingers wrapped together.

"What I told you last night wasn't necessarily true from what the firefighters found in the debris," Daryl looked up from his lap and concentrated on her face. He had to admit she was good at keeping her emotions hidden; her pokerface was stone cold.

"Well what tha hell is true?" Daryl looked at his brother and shook his head. He couldn't help but think his brother was getting too heated over a house he really didn't give a damn about in the first place. He wanted to scream at his brother that if he really cared he wouldn't have moved into Beth's without a second thought. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, bringing his eyes down onto his collapsed hands once again.

"They made their way into where the kitchen was and unless you two decided to burn your house down on purpose," Her dry sarcasm didn't phase the two, "It looks as if someone poured gasoline all throughout the cabinets, floor, just about everywhere in the kitchen," Rick sat quietly as he nodded in agreement, making sure everything she said was correct, "It was intentional. We have a few investigators looking further into it-" Merle cut her off with a shaking hand.

"No need to," He began, making them all look towards him. Rick squinted his eyes as he tried to figure out why this man wouldn't want anyone to bother.

"Why not?" Rick sat up from leaning against the chair's metal back.

"'Cause I said so. Ain't been in that house for months. Someone was probably doin' us a favor and takin' the piece of shit down for good," Daryl watched his brother's attitude change. He never fully understood Merle and his mood swings. First he wanted to do nothing more than sulk because of it and now he acted as if he didn't give two shits.

"Well it's unfortunately not an option," Michonne raised an eyebrow at the older Dixon brother, "But I assure you we won't put it as our top priority. Just for you," For a second Merle swore he saw a smirk try to escape, but instead her face stayed put while the sarcasm seeped through her voice. Merle shrugged his shoulders before getting up and scratching his head. Beth watched as she kept her place leaning against the wall.

"Any idea who might'a done it?" Daryl could hear Merle groan as he left the room. Just because one brother didn't care didn't mean the other agreed. Daryl thought back to his dream. Though his suspicions were vague, he couldn't help but think his father somehow figured out his old address.

"At the moment, no," Michonne sighed. She was the kind of person who was always on top of things. This time was different. Most of last night was spent searching the Dixon's records, coming up with too many counts she would've liked, mostly for Merle, but there were a few for Daryl as well. The majority had shown drug busts and D.U.I.'s. The only reasonable explanation for someone to purposely take down their house was because they pissed off the wrong people.

"Have you had any run ins with anyone that may have wanted revenge? Anything you or your brother did that could've set someone off?" Daryl's eyes narrowed at the man before him. Though his voice wasn't accusing, he still felt he was being judged.

"What kinda person do you think I am?" Beth watched his posture straighten as Daryl leaned into the table. He was becoming irritated with the two police officers. She watched Michonne shake her head only slightly.

"By the looks of your guys' records you two know people that handle business around here," Beth could see the shame on his face. He hadn't used anything for months, hell he hadn't even thought about drugs other than forcing his brother to leave whenever he felt the need to take a hit. Even then Merle started to drift away from the hard stuff after Carol's death. Daryl shifted in his seat under accusing eyes. He briefly caught a glance at Beth, watching her attempt to smile at him.

"Ain't been around that for a while," Daryl's voice kept calm, though he still wasn't too happy about the two revealing his past with Beth in the room. Rick glanced at Michonne one more time before clearing his throat.

"Listen, if you have any idea as to why someone would personally attack you by taking down your house, let us know. I can see you don't want you or family in harms way so take it upon yourself to do a little research and get back to us," Daryl met eyes with Rick, listening to him speak reasonably, "We'll grant your brother's wish only if we figure it out first. Once we have someone, we'll file it away, no problem," Rick waited for an agreement only to receive a grunt and nod. Rick figured the lone brother was finished and stood up. The two made their way out the door and said their stiff goodbyes before heading out of sight down the road.

Beth closed to the door behind her and made her way back into the kitchen to sit next to Daryl. He let his head drop into his hands, trying to give his mind a break. Beth waited patiently until he moved his head, peeking his face towards her.

"Wanna talk about it?" Beth knew not to push too far. He wasn't one that liked to speak more than he had to.

"Can't say I know anyone who would chase me down," He sort of lied. His father was one he had in mind, though he didn't want to think of him at all, pushing that thought to the back of his mind. He could only think of the night he found his brother unconscious and slumped onto the wall. Someone had come in looking for Merle or Daryl, both even. He knew someone was looking for them. Someone wanted to send a bigger message not to fuck with them. But who? Daryl knew his brother settled down when it came to stealing from people and messing around. Most the time he'd spend his days at the house instead of out and about and causing trouble. Daryl thought back to his brother's girlfriend, Carol.

He remembered meeting her one night, watching the way she fidgeted in her truck while looking around the street constantly. He listened the way she told Merle "jokingly" to hurry up or else they'll get caught. Nothing clicked back then, but now it did. He recalled his brother mentioning meeting Carol was fate because she knew the same drug dealer as him. He even ignorantly mentioned she had higher connections; she knew bigger people in the drug business. Someone wasn't happy about her death and seemingly knew Merle was with her at the time. Daryl rubbed his forehead before he looked at Beth with questionable certainty in his voice, "But it's possible someone's lookin' for Merle."

**A/N: Hope you enjoy :) Merle's got some trouble ahead..what's new! Poor Daryl can't seem to catch a break either. More Bethyl scenes coming up, I promise :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Beth wiped a damp rag across the last dirty table, attempting to tidy up after her shift was long over with. Her movements felt more mechanical than natural as she made quick circles on the cream laminate table top while she worked the piece of cloth roughly. She finished scrubbing before her knuckles managed to turn white, replacing the flimsy paper mats on the table and collecting the dirty dishes at the edge of the now spotless table.

"Hey, you almost forgot this," Sasha walked over to Beth and collapsed her hand on the crumpled five dollar bill pinched between the napkin holder and the table. Beth attempted to smile at Sasha as she shoved the money into her back pocket, thanking Sasha in the process. Her mind the past few weeks was jumbled and full; too much going on at home had spilled over just a little bit onto her job. Shifting the weight of the dirty dishes in the palm of her hand, Beth made way to the kitchen. Sasha followed her flustered friend, placing forgotten cups into the sink.

She watched Beth with worried eyes. Her newly found friend seemed to become more and more sheltered within herself ever since she mentioned something about her "friends'" house burning down. The details were slim, but Sasha could sense there was more to what happened than what she would say. Even Dale noticed a slight change in Beth's smile as she worked. Beth hadn't lost her shine, far from that, but she still had something pestering her on the inside. Sasha sighed before appearing at Beth's side and grabbing the wet plates from the rack. She managed to help dry the dishes while Beth kept silent, scrubbing away just as much as she did with the table out front.

"So is there anything you might want to talk about?" Sasha wanted nothing more than to have the bubbly blonde she first met back. Granted, they had their fits of laughing at the end of their shifts in spurts, but she knew whatever was bothering her was serious. Beth didn't let much bother her, especially with her positive outlook on life, but this was different. Her blue eyes looked away from the last plate in her hands and onto Sasha.

"Is it that obvious?" Beth's forced laugh made Sasha's head drop to her side while trying to avoid rolling her eyes. The two girls smiled at each other while Beth shrugged her shoulders, "Okay, okay. I guess I haven't been myself lately. Things are just kind of rough, you know?" She handed Sasha the dish and wiped her hands dry.

"You know you can always come and talk to me. I don't like seeing you all sad. It's just not the usual Beth," Sasha's sympathetic smile crawled up her face, making Beth feel much better than she had in days. Leaving the kitchen and making their way into the break room, Beth managed to pull a chair while Sasha took one across the small table. She watched her friend and couldn't help but laugh at the way she exaggerated her interest in Beth's personal life. Sasha cupped her head in her hands with her elbows placed on the table, wiggling her eyebrows as she waited.

Beth fidgeted with her hands while she looked towards the clock. Nine-thirty made its way past Beth's grasp as she sighed. Working past eight wasn't a normal occurrence, but every once in a while it seemed to happen.

"The past couple weeks have just been crazy," She started, "Everything with Daryl and Merle's house burning down just kind of put the icing on the cake after Merle's girlfriend passed away," She thought back to just a few days ago, remembering what seemed like the hundredth meeting with sheriff Rick Grimes. The meetings usually ended with Merle and Daryl getting irritated and new leads going nowhere. Sasha listened contently, "Things have been getting better though," She slightly lied, but she didn't want her friend to worry, "It's more their problem than mine, but I still hear about it," She laughed.

"Well he is your boyfriend and his brother is a part of the package too, it seems," Sasha watched with amusement as Beth perked up at the word boyfriend.

"He's not my boyfriend, Sash," Beth's cheeks flushed at her friend's comment. She wouldn't say much about Daryl unless Sasha pried it out of her. She was nosey, but that's what friends were for, so whenever Sasha got the chance to hear about him, she made sure she got every detail.

"Could've fooled me! You said yourself that you two sleep in the same bed," Sasha pursed her lips while attempting to put some sass in, "You can't tell me you two haven't done anything."

Beth scattered her head and smiled while shyly shrugging her shoulders. Sasha's smile faded as she dropped her mouth open in exaggeration.

"Oh, Beth! You can't tell me you guys...I mean..seriously?" She placed her hand onto her forehead roughly, making Beth laugh, "Girl, I haven't met this guy yet, but I'm slightly worried you two have been beating around the bush for too long!"

"It's different," Beth tried to defend her "relationship" with Daryl, "Under the circumstances of how we met and what's been going on, being together is probably the last thing on his mind. Besides, we get along just fine with how things are now. I like it this way." Sasha wouldn't take her answer as truthful.

"He's living with you and has been for what, months now? I figured, you know, things would be pretty serious by now," Beth sat there, listening to Sasha's words and taking everything in. She had to admit, she wished Daryl and her were more _serious_, but how could things be more than what they had when they were dealing with so much? She didn't want to push a relationship onto Daryl, and heck, even she didn't want to jump into anything more. Sasha watched her friend sink into herself. She placed a hand onto her arm, breaking Beth's concentration on her thoughts.

"I'm not saying marry the guy tomorrow, especially with everything going on, but maybe you should talk to him about it," Sasha was partially right. Beth had been planning on talking to Daryl about what they had, but most of the time he was stuck on figuring out who took down their old house.

"I'll talk to him sometime," Beth continued, "Everything's been so hectic I sometimes forget about the big picture and focus on the smaller things instead," She smiled, thinking back to the little moments her and Daryl shared together that made things better when they both were down. The way they'd lay in bed, facing each other while just staring into each other's eyes in silence. Nothing more than the close body heat keeping them warm before slowly drifting off to sleep after a long day. Those moments meant the most to her and she didn't think much about making those moments "official" with a silly relationship title.

"So things haven't gotten better with the house situation?" Sasha shifted the conversation a little.

"I mean, they haven't found anyone or anything yet. Daryl mentioned his father could've.." Beth watched Sasha eyes widen, "But they found him locked up not too far from here in a county jail for stealing from a liquor store," Beth shook her head. She hadn't ever met the man, but he seemed like an good for nothing asshole by the way the Dixon brother's described him, "Sheriff Grimes went to question him and surprisingly enough, he seemed truthful and said he didn't, and I quote, 'give two shits 'bout his good for nothin' sons of'a bitches boys," Sasha laughed at her exaggerated southern accent, "He admitted he looked for where they lived, but Sheriff Grimes says he really couldn't see the man going to those extremes."

"Well lets hope they find whoever did it and you guys can have some peace once again," Sasha smiled before getting up and grabbing her coat. Summer was quickly coming to an end which made Beth's head spin even more. Colder weather meant college classes starting up once again on top of trying to keep her job. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so stressed. Sasha grabbed her purse and headed to the back door, looking at Beth once again.

"Things will get better. Even though I've never met the two, which I will be soon," An evil smile flashed over her face at Beth, "I think they will be able to handle everything. So don't worry about it so much and you should figure out your issue with your _frieennndd _while you're at it."

Beth watched Sasha's head cock back as she laughed once more before winking at Beth and leaving. She sat alone now in the small diner, realizing she'd better make her way home before Daryl started to worry. Grabbing her things and sliding on a jacket, she went through and turned off all the lights before locking the back door behind her. The fire happened a while ago, but it still seemed like it had happened just yesterday. She just wanted to issue over and done with. She wanted them all to move on with their lives.

…

Daryl's eyes opened slowly while he made contact with the flashing television screen that laid muted in front of him. He was laying on the couch as he heard Beth's door shut and footsteps leading to the door. He had shortly fallen asleep on the couch after boredom had consumed him. His brother had left for the first time in forever to search for a night at the bar, leaving Daryl to his own devices while Beth was at work. The door opened revealing a shadowy petite figure making way into the dim living room. He watched her shed the jacket off from her body and her fingers tugged at her ponytail, releasing thick curls onto the back of her shirt. She finally turned towards him and made her way to his side, curling up next to him on the small futon. He smirked at her for the first time in a while as he found her soft smile. He kept his arm underneath his head while bringing the other behind her back to pull her closer to his body.

"How was work?" He managed to mumble through her blonde hair as she curled up against his chest. She breathed in his aroma, taking in the woodsy smell that seemed to be stained on his body.

"It was work. I'm just glad to be home," Beth lifted her head and made eye contact with him, taking in his warm gaze. She couldn't remember the last time they had actually been close besides in bed. With Daryl speaking to police officers Michonne and Rick so much and meeting with them down at the station, they barely made room to actually be _together. _

"Are you doing okay today?" Beth's concerns for him and his brother were always alert. She felt the need to be there for them whenever they were down because she wanted to see them happy. They made her happy so she wanted to do the same. Daryl took his hand to the back of her head, softly tangling his fingers into her hair while placing his lips onto her forehead. He always liked to physically give his answers since he was so bad with words. He didn't like to see her worry about him so much, especially since he wasn't used to anyone really giving a shit about him.

"Is Merle here?" Daryl shook his head and grumbled a 'yes' as she kept her eyes on him still. Beth propped herself up on one elbow before getting the courage to speak. She wanted to speak about so many things that were on her mind. She wanted to talk about the fire and possibly figure out who had started it, but that's what they always did talk about and it tended to lead to nowhere after away. She wanted to talk about how she was tired of them moaping around and she'd wished they would just forget about everything and start new. But most important, she wanted to discuss where they were heading.

"Daryl?" Her voice was timid, making him suspicious. He kept silent, raising his eyebrow just a little bit to acknowledge her and show he was listening, "Daryl...what are we?" He grunted at her question.

"What ya mean?"

"I mean, do we have a relationship going on? Your brother's always calling me your girlfriend and whatnot...Am I?" Her questions were innocent enough and made his heart start to beat fast. He hadn't thought about becoming "official" and usually blew off his brother's comments without a second thought. He never realized she took it serious and up until now, he thought things were fine without a set in stone name to it. They sat there for a second, Beth watched his face as he sorted out what he was going to say.

"Depends on if you want ta be?" Beth rolled her eyes and lightly hit his chest.

"You know how I feel about you, Daryl," She bit her lip, "I've just been wondering if you've been thinking about it too."

Her statement wasn't wrong. Even though his mind was wrapped around things other than Beth for the most part, he still would think about what they were, especially when they'd lay together in each other's arms in her bed. He wanted to mention it before, but he was too much of a chicken shit when it came to relationships. A part of him was really glad she was brave enough to mention it herself. They needed to talk about it.

"Wouldn't mind if ya were," His accent heightened. Beth knew for a fact he was thinking deeply by the way his southern drawl dragged out the words from his mouth. His nonchalant answer mustered the butterflies deep inside her stomach. Though his words weren't poetic like she read and watched constantly, she couldn't have wanted things to be any different. She didn't want the head over heels, type romeo. She liked her southern redneck romeo just fine.

"So it's settled," Beth spoke up, "I can finally get Sasha off my back about it?" Daryl pursed his lips and he watched her roll her eyes at the thought of constantly being bugged by her coworker. He had heard stories about Sasha, but they were all good and Beth seemed to really enjoy her company.

"Mhm, looks like ya can," His tone was more serious than earlier as his eyes darkened. For a moment he was nervous even beginning to think of having someone as _his._ Everything he ever loved or had would sooner or later be ripped from his grasp. He avoided the whole dating scene because of that thought, but now he finally found it in him to let Beth Greene in. He didn't want her with anyone but him, hell, he couldn't see her looking at anyone else the way she laid her eyes on him. They watched each other a little longer, taking in the different environment now revealed. Beth could feel the tension between them now as they both realized how much they truly did care for each other.

Daryl's intense stare never left Beth as she worked her hand into his shaggy hair quietly, slowly working her fingers until her hand was firmly set onto his head. She leaned into his sideways laying body closely, leaving nothing but an inch between their faces. What was pure innocent happiness a few moments ago now twisted into something deeper, something desirable. The want for each other had been apart since the first few weeks they'd spent together. Nothing was acted upon because of either Merle or just because it wasn't the right time.

Their gaze ended abruptly as Daryl made his way to Beth, connecting with her soft lips as she gripped just a little at the back of his head. Their mouths worked together perfectly slow and steady. Beth traced his bottom lip with her tongue before they both allowed each other to explore, taking in each other's taste blissfully. Daryl untangled his fingers from her hair,wrapping his arm around her back to keep her as close as possible while their tongues danced lightly together, exploring contently. Beth broke away from Daryl, making his face twist. With her lips parted and her bubbly personality hidden away at the moment, Daryl watched as she changed in front of him. Her face brought on a different look that she hadn't tried in front of him before. Her normal light gray eyes were replaced with darkened pupils as she gracefully forced his body onto the futon as she placed herself on top of him, wrapping her hands into his hair as she bent down, reconnecting their lost kiss. Daryl was stunned at first, feeling the timid woman he'd known for a while slip away, replaced by someone who felt just as much as desire as him.

Her fingers tangled between his brown strands of hair while the kiss deepened, giving way to a new front for Daryl to explore. His hands moved from the small of her back to her hips, gripping tightly as she did the same with hers. A soft moan managed to escape from her lips as he moved away from them and onto her neck. Soft nips and kisses moved from her neck down to her collarbone, taking in every square inch of skin that appeared to not be covered by her shirt. He stopped at the beginning of her chest, meeting her lips once again. His hand worked up and underneath her shirt, laying his rough, calloused hand onto the soft flesh of her back. Goosebumps rose on her skin at contact of his skin on hers. She looked up for a second, taking in his eyes that parted slightly. His mind was consumed by her; she was the best thing to ever happen to him and he'd be damned if he fucked up this time. Her smile brought back the Beth he had seen just minutes ago as she took a hand from his hair and cupped his cheek.

"I'm so glad I met you," Beth's words were timid and filled with emotion. Her soft voice caressed his ears as he watched the way her hair tangled and fell over her head, covered just a little bit of her face, "Even under the strange circumstances that we did."

"Glad ya gave me a chance to redeem myself," Daryl's husky accent had Beth's heart flutter as his tone was rough but wantful. Without another word she dived back in, letting him know she didn't care about how they met, what his past was, and how things were with his problems now. What mattered most was the moments slowly ticking away now as she let her hands fall from the side of his face and other his shoulders, gripping with more force as their kiss heightened. They continued without words, working away at showing each other just how much they really meant to one another. What mattered most was they had each other to get through the hard times and they almost had forgotten what it meant to be with someone. Nothing was forgotten that night though as they slowly, but passionately let each other in.

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry I'm letting your imagination do the rest of the work. I promise more to come so don't worry. :) Hope you're enjoying and sorry about the late update. With writers block and being sick I haven't had much motivation. Hope you enjoy and I **_**promise**_** you'll get more details soon. Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts so far!**


	16. Chapter 16

The sharp ringing jolted Beth from her position on the small couch. Her blonde hair was nothing but a mess of tangles and knots as she patted down her untamed hair while searching for the source of noise. She felt the weight of Daryl's behind her while she moved her hand blindly around and underneath the small throw wrapped up on his body. They had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning, tangled up into each other's bodies as they attempted to stay as close as possible. The ringing became muffled once Daryl shifted in his sleep; she knew her small phone had fallen out of her back jeans pocket sometime in the night after playfully wrestling with Daryl for a rightful spot next to him. Beth sighed, snaking her hand underneath the side of his waist and pulled out the frantic phone. For a moment she sat there with the phone screaming in her hand, briefly looking at Daryl and wondering how he was able to sleep through such things. Beth's eyes wandered to the screen finally as well as her thumb, which automatically hovered over the answer button. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the foreign contact name. Maggie never called her anymore.

She pressed down her thumb and held up the phone to her ear, listening to the silence on the other line. She cleared her throat, attempting to say hello, but nothing came out.

"Beth?" Maggie's voice was much the same as it was last christmas, the last time they had spoken and saw each other. Beth's eyes burned a hole through her blank television. Annoyance crept over her.

"Yes?" She attempted to call Maggie often, though she gave up months prior since she'd never received any messages or calls back. She had a strained relationship with her sister knowing she lived only twenty minutes away made things worse. They both were guilty of not visiting, but Maggie never once attempted to meet with her younger sister, not once since she'd gotten herself a fiance, Glenn.

The silence lasted a little bit longer before Maggie spoke once more.

"How...How are things?" Her sister's voice was timid and not the usual bossy, older sister tone she'd always give Beth. Even as adults she was treated nothing more than the baby of the family. Beth sighed, flicking her fingers on her free hand while she listened to silence once more.

"Fine," Beth wanted to hang up. She wanted to set her phone down and end the conversation that meant really nothing to her. It's not that she didn't care for Maggie, but nothing aggravated her more than small talk before she asked for something. Maggie wasn't one to ask about someone's day without a favor coming after it, "How are you?" The question was forced and unnatural. Beth had nothing but love for everyone she'd meet, strangers or friends, she'd always care about their day or what was going on in their lives, but right now, Maggie's issues weren't on the top of her priority list.

"I'm good under the circumstances," Beth rolled her eyes. She knew it would be a matter of time before she'd have to bail her sister out, just like always.

"So, what's wrong?" Beth's voice faltered as she felt Daryl's body shift behind her once again. He grumbled something in his sleep before she stood up and made her way to the kitchen. Her skin rose at the touch of cold tiles underneath her bare feet.

"It's nothing big…" Maggie's voice trailed off, frustrating Beth even more.

"Just tell me."

"Well, I was wondering if maybe I could bunk with you for a few nights," Beth laid the phone onto the table before dropping her head into her hands. She groaned into her palms before covering her eyes. Her sister was much older than her, but there was always something that made her feel as if she was the eldest of the two. She grabbed the phone and stuck it back to her ear.

"Seriously?" Beth fought the urge not to laugh at her. She loved her sister, but at the same time she was a real pain in the ass.

"Mom said you're renting a house...So I figured you have room," Maggie went on as if nothing was wrong.

"Since when do you talk to mom?" The two sisters never had much of a relationship with their mother. Their family wasn't a family, just people with blood relations that every once in awhile forced themselves to put on a show and act like a regular family on holidays. Ever since her father passed and her mother remarried nothing was ever the same. They had a broken family.

"She called about a week ago. She was helping out with rent and everything, but the landlord kicked me out. I guess they can't handle good parties in that complex, but whatever." She waved off the fact that she couldn't understand why people didn't expect parties coming from younger people. She wasn't young anymore, though, at least not by her birth certificate.

"Why don't you and Glenn find a place?" Beth's question went unanswered too long for her liking, "Maggie?"

"We broke up," Maggie's tone changed. Beth listened to the hint of sadness in her sister's voice. Her annoyance simmered down. She knew the best thing to happen to Maggie was Glenn. He picked her up from a dark place and brought her back to life, though Maggie was Maggie and not much could stop her from the fast paced life she'd always dreamed of, "He just didn't want to deal with a relationship and a job at the same time I guess." Beth took some time before answering, holding the phone to her ear loosely in her hand.

"I'm sorry that happened, Maggie, but I don't have room here," Beth chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to decide the best option for her sister, "Maybe you could move back in with mom."

"You know I hate that son of'a bitch living there with her. Besides, how could you possibly not have room? I'll sleep on your couch, I don't care," She was desperate, "I need somewhere to go. Just for a little bit. Just till things get cleared up."

"Maggie, I can't." Beth avoided the thought of telling her sister about the two Dixon brother's. She wasn't ashamed of them, but whenever anyone came into her life Maggie found the need to protect. It was like second nature for her.

"Why? Is Zach living with you now?" Though her question was innocent, it hit Beth hard. She hadn't thought about Zach ever since Daryl and Merle gave him the last message he needed to stay away. She was so wrapped up in loving the Dixon brothers that she had completely forgotten he existed. All the abusive, drunken nights perished from her memory until his name was brought up.

"No. He's not," She managed to keep her voice calm, "I broke up with him a while ago."

"So you don't have anyone living with you?" Maggie's curiosity rose. She knew her sister's ex boyfriend was just as bad as their stepfather so she hadn't asked why they broke up. She hid her happiness for her sister only momentarily.

Beth's thoughts were interrupted by footsteps making way to the kitchen arch. Her eyes roamed up to a shirtless Daryl leaning up against the wall. Sleep was still evident in his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest while raising an eyebrow. A smile crawled up Beth's face as she rolled her eyes and waved him off. Though she turned her attention back to Maggie, Daryl stayed in his position, watching the way Beth's hand fidgeted on the table. She was obviously uncomfortable with whoever was on the phone.

"I do, actually," Beth replied, "They're living here with me for a while as far as I can tell."

Daryl lifted his head and met Beth's face once again. He couldn't think of anyone Beth kept in contact with that wouldn't know about him. Beth mentioned their living situation to Sasha, Dale, and a few coworkers about him staying with her. Other than that, she never mentioned anyone she spoke to other than her close friends. No family, no nothing.

"Who's _they_?" Maggie's protective side started to rise as she listened to her sister's voice change.

"My boyfriend and his brother," Beth blushed at the words that came from her mouth. She wasn't used to calling him that. The word was still foreign and new.

"_Boyfriend?_"

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" Her words caught Daryl's attention. He chuckled at the petite blonde in front of him getting angry. Her attempts at sounding mad weren't the greatest, but she did have a harsh tone to her words.

Maggie was quiet for a little bit on the other line before she cleared her throat.

"Can I please come stay for a night or two," Maggie sounded defeated as her voice softened. Beth sighed and rubbed her face. She knew she couldn't let her sister down. The months of not speaking weren't excusable, but every little bit helped. They were family and Beth couldn't say no.

"Only for a few days, okay? You will have to sleep on the couch, got it?" Beth watched Daryl's body shift from the corner of her eye. She knew she would have some explaining to do.

"Thank you, I mean it. I'll be over later tonight. Love you Bethy," She heard the line go silent and tucked her phone into her back pocket before looking up at Daryl's questioning eyes.

"Maggie. She needs a place to stay for a little bit," She ran her fingers through her messy hair once again, self conscious now that Daryl's stare burned through her. He shrugged his shoulders and sat down next to her.

"Guess I'll be meetin' your sister, hm?" Beth smiled as she looked down into her lap. He didn't seemed phased much by the new living arrangements, but how could anything phase them anymore? They had so much going on in their lives another person wouldn't shift the tide. She looked up at him again, taking in his blue eyes she had seen perfectly well the night before. Her cheeks flooded with pink thinking back to the night they had. Merle hadn't come home till after they were fast asleep on the small couch. They spent most of the night carressing and holding each other, softly showing each other something hidden deep within them both. In between, the two opened up to each other, talking in spurts of the past, the present and a little bit of the future. Most of the time Daryl listened and watched the way Beth spoke of the things she loved, the things she'd wish were different, and the things she wouldn't change if her life depended on it. Her sweet voice drew him in, listening to the way she'd get caught up in her own thoughts, pouring them to him and apologizing for speaking too much. He'd simply grab the side of her cheek and kiss her forehead, telling her without words that she could speak forever and he'd listen. He'd be there for her and she'd do the same.


	17. Chapter 17

Merle's eyelids parted slightly as he rubbed away the last bits of his grogginess. He had slept for a few hours, though he felt as if the time passed too quickly for his liking, waking up to commotion taking place in the living room. His bones ached and his head spun from his late night beforehand. He realized now his ability to get over the effects of his heavy intake in alcohol quickly were diminishing. Nothing bothered him more than knowing his age was slowly rising and his younger years were long gone.

He managed to swing his legs over the small twin bed slowly. The alarm clock on the small wooden night stand shown five o'clock, too late for his liking. Sleep consumed his body for most of the day, leaving nothing but the beginning of a never ending cycle of late nights he was trying to break away from. Merle's head stopped spinning briefly once he heard not just his brother and Beth's voice, but a third. The muffled female voice was angry. He couldn't make out the words she was speaking, though the harsh tone made it clear she wasn't looking to be friendly. The floor groaned underneath his weight once he managed to force himself into the situation regretfully. Trouble followed the Dixons wherever they went, no matter what. Grabbing a worn out wifebeater, Merle fought a fit of yawns as he made his way to the end of the hallway, peering in on the three.

"Oh, is _this_ his brother?" The woman's posture was rude and nothing more than false intimidation once she laid eyes on Merle. Her short brunette hair tucked behind her ear loosely, contrasting her milky white skin, much the same as Beth's. He leaned against the hall wall, amused by his brothers less than obvious uncomfortable posture across from Beth who seemed all too aware of the woman's unnecessary behavior. A smile crawled up his face as he watched the brunette plant her hands onto her hips. She was becoming more agitated once she knew her daunting stare did nothing more than add an extra inch to his smirk.

"S'pose we've got ourselves a family reunion, hm?" His southern accent was more prominent than normal thanks to sleep still lingering in his body. Merle watched Beth bring her hand through her hair as her glare flickered towards him and onto Daryl, softening slightly once they made eye contact. Daryl shifted his weight while shoving both hands deep into his front pockets. What tension was there before he had walked in clearly lowered. He was the only one taking light of the situation.

"This is Maggie," Beth's voice came out rough and annoyed, "My ungrateful sister."

Merle chuckled at Beth's sister. Her eyes grew big and her head turned to the side, as if she couldn't believe such things would come out of her sweet, sweet sister. The Dixon boys had rubbed off on her, enough to give Beth the ability to be the caring person she was, but also someone who could speak her mind when needed. Merle took his weight off of the wall and headed towards the trio, stretching out his hand towards Maggie. Daryl's forehead creased at the small gesture; Merle was not one to be polite. Maggie looked at his hand for a moment before grabbing it and giving a quick shake. She watched the way his eyes never left hers along with his smirk still consuming most of his face. Her anger simmered down only because it was forced too. She wouldn't make a total ass of herself in front of Beth's new _roommates_.

"What seemed ta have been the problem out here?" He cleared his throat while giving Beth a questioning look. Whatever anger she once held also melted away, leaving the woman he'd been used to seeing for the past few months.

"Nothing. Maggie's just going to stay for a few nights and figure out her shit," Maggie unconsciously tucked an invisible strand back into her hair just to take away some of the nerves rising in her stomach. She couldn't believe her sister was living with these men. She knew men like them, she knew them all too well. Rough around the edge men didn't deserve a second look at someone like Beth and that was something she couldn't comprehend. She didn't understand how Beth had gotten into this situation.

"My, my," Merle threw his hand on top of his light buzz cut, making eyes at the brunette as she chewed at the inside of her cheek nervously, "You ain't seem too pleased 'bout my brother and I." Maggie ignored Merle's obvious enjoyment of the situation, turning to Beth instead.

"If you have a problem with them staying here you may as well leave," Beth looked up at Maggie. The minute she'd let her sister in Maggie began to judge Daryl. The second Merle appeared she was assuming worse. Her sister was being extremely unfair.

"We'll all get along jus' fine in here," Merle butt in, "She'll get warmed up to us in no time." Maggie's eyebrow raised at his awful attempts at what she thought was flirting. She watched the obvious older brother's demeanor and looked at Beth's "boyfriend". The two looked related enough, though they both were opposite in that moment. The confident one stared her down while the other simply hung his head, waiting for the awkwardness to disperse.

They all grew silent before Beth grabbed the small bag next to Maggie's feet and shuffled her way through the brothers. She set it next to the small cabinet near the hallway before looking back.

"Like I said, the futon's yours," Beth walked over again, this time standing closer to Daryl. She watched the way his muscles tensed throughout their whole meeting. He hadn't said barely a word to Maggie. He couldn't have said anything since she pounced on him the moment they met eyes.

He knew it looked bad. He was fully aware of the added years he had over Beth. It bothered him only momentarily before, but Maggie's false accusations made the thought rise from deep within his mind. Men like him didn't get girls like her and he couldn't deny the anxiety Maggie made him feel as she hammered Beth at the fact that she was losing her mind. For once, Daryl could say he was happy Merle's dumbass lightened the mood. At least he had some sense in him to speak his mind, even if it was flirting with someone he had just met.

"Aw no need for that. She can take my room," Merle's voice interrupted Daryl's thoughts.

"You sure about that?" Beth could tell Merle was taking a liking to her sister, but like Maggie rolled her eyes at his intentional kindness.

"Can't bring myself to be ina comfy bed while a woman's sleepin' on a lousy couch," He moved past the three before lazily connecting his ass to the couch and hand to the remote. Daryl's shoulders relaxed just a little bit as sound other than their conversations filled the room. He kept his head slightly tilted down until he felt a small pressure on his lower back. Beth kept her hand there while her sister grabbed the bag she had brought and looked into the hallway. She turned around, pointing towards Merle's room, silently entering after getting Beth's head shake as an answer.

"I'm sorry about her," Beth and Daryl made their way into the kitchen, away from Merle who was still sorting out a throbbing head and away from Maggie who cleaned up the remains of Merle's laziness. Daryl pursed his lips. He was used to not giving much thought to anyone's opinion of him and his brother, but this time he felt a little bothered. She wasn't like Beth one bit. She was quick to judge like most of the people he encountered in his life. Daryl shrugged before feeling arms being wrapped around his midsection. Her fingers grasped his shirt tighter than she'd expected, but he didn't mind. Daryl ran his hand up her neck and into her hair, bringing her head onto his chest while wrapping his other arm around her. Though he thought his attempts to comfort her weren't much, they meant more to Beth than anything. She had a hard enough time with Maggie as it is and her first meeting with the Dixon brothers didn't help.

"Ain't seem to like me much," Daryl managed to speak after letting go of Beth.

"She's always been like this. Judging people too quickly," Beth forced a laugh from within her throat, "Like she's anything perfect."

"How long's she stayin' again?" Beth looked up at him and smiled. His sarcasm was too much for her.

"She'll be gone before you know it," She kissed his lips lightly before heading out into the living room and making room for her on the couch. Beth made no attempt to bring her sister out of the room. It was as if Maggie wasn't even there and that was okay.

…

The wall clock shown eleven by the time Maggie made her way from Merle's room to the bathroom without a word. Merle sat the farthest away possible from his brother holding the little blonde on the other end. He laughed internally at the show next to him. He'd given Daryl shit about how he acted around Beth only when he was alone and Beth was nowhere in sight. He could be an asshole, but Merle was content with making his little brother squeamish to a certain extent. So he kept his mouth shut whenever Beth was around and only give his brother momentary smirks once in a great while.

He managed to lift himself from where he had sat for hours on end, moaning in the process. Throwing the remote near Daryl's side, Merle made his way to the closed bathroom door just in time for Maggie to open it, gasping at the unexpected view. Merle couldn't help but chuckle at her uneasiness.

"Excuse me," Maggie glanced up at him before managing to get passed his body blocking most of the door.

"'cuse yourself," Merle watched her go into the bedroom and shut the door. He shrugged his shoulders and entered the bathroom to relieve his bladder. He took a look in the mirror at his rough exterior before slumping his shoulders and groaning. He'd forgotten to grab his extra clothes from his room.

Merle managed to man up, striding into what used to be his room without a second thought to the girl hiding under the crinkled covers. She watched the man look around the floor for something, oblivious to her company.

"I put your clothes in a pile," Maggie caught his attention. He stopped looking at the floor and onto her. She gripped the sheet with one hand uncomfortably while pointing behind him at the freshly folded pile.

"Ain't need ta clean up after me," Merle grabbed a pair of sweats off the top of the pile, "But thank you." He turned towards the door before Maggie stopped him with her words.

"Can I ask you something?" She shifted nervously underneath the sheets as his hand lowered from the doorknob. He looked towards her, silently telling her she could ask whatever.

"How'd you guys meet Beth?" Merle backed away from the door and stood at the foot of the bed with his hands placed loosely on his hips.

"Why? Worried we forced our way in here?" Merle's voice was harsh but he'd only meant for it to be sarcasm. Maggie looked down onto her hands while she thought of a response.

"No," She began, "I just never pictured my baby sister living with two.." She picked her words carefully, "grown men."

"Well sweetheart, hate ta tell ya she's not a lil' kid anymore," Merle took a seat on the edge of the bed, making Maggie curl her legs upwards. Merle shook his head, chuckling to himself, "Ain't ever thought my baby brother would be stickin' with someone like her for this long. Used to think she wasn't so bright."

"Hey now," Maggie warned. Merle waved off her starting threat.

"I ain't sayin' my brother and I are angels like yer sister. Far from it," Merle's tone became more serious as he looked into Maggie's dark brown eyes, "But we aren't no devils either."

"I don't want my sister to get hurt, that's all," Maggie tried to justify her defensiveness. She did love Beth, even though they didn't speak much, she still wanted to be able to protect her from any danger.

"Got nothin' ta worry 'bout," Merle stood up and made his way once again to the door, turning towards Maggie, "Got some shit goin' on but I assure you yer sister won't be dragged into anythin' bad." _Yeah right_ Maggie thought, but kept to herself. He was growing on her more than Beth's boyfriend, but she still was wairy of the two. She nodded her head and laid back down as he closed the door. She stayed awake for hours, wondering and worrying more for her sister than she had in years. She felt like a total bitch for lashing out at the three, but it was more of her own problems that caused her anger than what was going on with Beth. Maggie thought hard about the Dixon brothers. There really wasn't anything wrong with them that she could judge except for the obvious age difference. She worried though about what the older brother mentioned before he left her room. What trouble was he going through? She wanted to know just why he felt the need to mention Beth's safety among his own shit. She wanted to find out what would be going on and she promised herself she would.

**A/N: Mostly Merle's point of view in this chapter. Maggie as well. I hope you guys enjoyed and I'm I'll update soon. What do you think of their interactions? I enjoyed writing this one! xoxo**


	18. Chapter 18

The next day was surprisingly calm. Merle managed to flee from the house like usual, leaving Daryl and Beth on their own while Maggie minded her own. Beth watched the way her sister would glance at Daryl with guilty eyes before turning away. She knew her sister felt bad about the whole first meeting and Maggie was one to let her pride get in the way of what was right. Apologizing was always a big step for her. Beth's heart felt heavy about the whole situation. She knew Maggie needed help and she couldn't blame her sister for feeling out of sorts after getting kicked out of her apartment and Glenn leaving her. She knew all too well Maggie would chin up after a little encouragement.

Beth found herself lazily opening Merle's bedroom door, revealing her sister sitting at the edge of the small bed, looking out the window with a piece of paper in her hands. She stood there for a second, taking in the soft noise of Maggie's muffled tears hidden behind her hand. For the first time in forever, Beth saw her one of her sister's other raw emotion besides pure anger. She took a seat next to Maggie, wrapping an arm around her shoulder while leaning her head onto it as well. Her sister mumbled something Beth couldn't understand and wiped away the remaining salty tears from her cheeks. Beth looked up to see a sad smile across her face.

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you," Maggie pursed her lips, attempting to smile apologetically. Beth cocked her head playfully, relieving the stress Maggie had felt since the night before. Merle calmed her down only briefly before mentioning vaguely of his situation. That put her on edge for most of the night, making it hard to sleep. She gripped the paper in her hand a little harder, crumpling it in the process.

"What's this?" Beth grabbed the crinkled paper from her sister's fingers, smoothing it out on her lap. Confused, Beth looked up at Maggie, "Where'd you get this?"

"Couldn't sleep last night," She confessed, "I found it on top of the dresser when I was cleaning up a little bit."

Beth read the rough hand writing while she creased her forehead. She could figure out most of what she assumed was Merle's terrible scribbles. What she found saddened her. Carol's first name only was hurriedly written on the top along with a phone number underneath. She figured this was when Carol and him first met. Merle was never one to believe in carrying around cell phones, though Beth smiled at the image of Merle's attentiveness at getting her number right. She looked at the numbers longer, seeing a few scratched out digits replaced with new ones. He was most likely intoxicated when they had met; she assumed he hadn't heard her correctly the first time, which was typical of him.

"Who was Carol?" Maggie broke the silence, watching the way Beth's face changed the more she studied the paper.

"Merle's ex girlfriend. I guess you could call her that," Beth stood up and put the paper back onto the dresser, "She passed away."

"Oh," Maggie managed to feel even more guilty than before. She had been rubbed the wrong way by these men and judged them before she even realized they had just as much going on as her. They weren't bad men, at least she wanted to believe that. Maggie played with her hands in her lap before looking up at Beth, "Is that what's going on with them?"

"No." Beth brushed her fingers on the dresser absentmindedly. She hadn't gone into her old spare room since Merle moved in. Maggie's work most likely made the room better than what it had been. Merle wasn't one to clean up after himself, though he only had clothes strewn about apposed to being a complete pig. He was simply a man.

"What's going on with them?" Maggie wanted answers. She wanted to understand them so she could be a little more accepting. She was trying her best to bring back her relationship with her sister. She could've moved back in with her mother easily, but she figured losing touch with Beth meant more to her than her own mother.

"Someone burnt their house down not too long ago," Beth subconsciously bit the edge of her nail while still looking about the room, "They don't know who did it yet. They're going through a lot more than you think."

"Does he treat you right?" Maggie's sudden change of subject didn't phase Beth. She knew the guilt her sister felt would heighten if it wasn't avoided.

"Better than Zach, better than Jimmy. Better than any guy I've been with."

"That's all I'm worried about," Maggie smiled, "I just want you to be safe."

Beth walked towards her sister, wrapping both arms around her neck before feeling the pressure mimicked back to her. She truly loved Maggie, strained or not, the bond they had since childhood still lingered deep within them both. They each had difficulties to overcome together in their child and teen years, defeating anything that stood in their way successfully together. Beth released her grasp from her sister, straightening her back.

"Have they gotten into any trouble with anyone else?" Beth knew Maggie was doing nothing more now than acting concerned. She wasn't judging, just curious. Beth thought back to the first night she'd stumbled across bloody and broken down Daryl. His eyes pleaded with her as she set the phone back into her pocket while inviting him into her home for the first time. The Dixons had troubles in their wake, troubles that weren't far from what they could control. She knew Merle was most to blame and Daryl was only dragged in, but they both had their fair share of bad behavior. People got caught up in bad things when it came to drugs. She understood well enough to give them both a break.

"Not really," Beth lied. Her sister didn't need to know anymore than what she had told her. What was in the past stayed there. As far as she was concerned they all were getting close to being safe and sound. Maggie shook her head up and down slowly before getting off the bed and heading out of the room for the first time that day. She could hear a faint 'hello' directed towards Daryl. Beth knew it would take time, but she would get used to her little sister being with people she considered her family. She loved them just as much, if not a little more than her own blood relations.

…

"Hey," Beth wrapped her arms around the back of Daryl's tense shoulders, placing her head onto the crook of his neck while laying her eyes on the blinding computer screen in front of him. He instantly relaxed underneath Beth's touch, moving his head towards hers while placing his hand to her opposite cheek, pulling her in for a light kiss. He had been at the computer for a few hours, suddenly motivated to search for anything that would lead him to the person responsible for his burnt down house. Granted, he didn't know what the hell he was looking for on the computer, but he figured it was better than sitting and doing nothing.

Sheriff Grimes would call every few days, checking up on the three while asking if Daryl had pried anything out of his brother. Rick and Michonne spent many nights searching through the Dixon's records for anything that could lead them to someone. Through the multiple drug counts racked up by the oldest brother, Michonne was surprised to see nothing more on his files other than a few years spent in jail altogether. No records shown who he'd received his products from, frustrating her. Their last resort was to make Daryl, the better one of the two criminally, to get any information out of Merle without being too pushy. They all wanted to get the problem out of the way as soon as they could.

Daryl wasn't much help. He'd barely talk to his brother about anything. They didn't have the best relationship, much like Maggie and Beth's, though they never talked much to begin with. Most the time they'd spent their childhood surviving their abusive home. Merle would attempt to keep his brother away from their father's fury, but those attempts weren't successful. Daryl's anger towards his brother would only heighten the older they got. Merle's don't-give-a-shit attitude strained their relationship in their teenage years, spilling over into adulthood. Daryl couldn't bring himself to ask such questions to his brother just yet.

Beth brought his attention away from the computer as she pulled up a chair next to him in the darkening kitchen. Merle was away still and Maggie left as well, "attempting" to find a place to live. In reality, Beth figured her sister was either at a bar or visiting friends to get a load off of her mind. She was much like Merle, always running away from her problems by drinking away the pain. Beth didn't mind though, she had more time with Daryl alone and that was all she needed.

He looked to the right of him, watching her blonde hair fall loosely around her shoulders. Her eyes stayed connected with him; her elbow propped up her head as she watched him calmly. He couldn't remember the last time she took his breath away that quickly just by Beth watching him. Her lips curled up momentarily before she bit her bottom lip eagerly. Heat rose to his neck as he fumbled with the growing hair on his chin. A smirk grew on his face until he realized her eyes weren't the vibrant gray he was so used to seeing. Her pupils were dilated and the cool gray darkened, leaving his chest tightening at his observations. Before he knew it she managed to sneak her body within inches of him, slowly pushing her small hand onto his arm.

She ditched her chair and moved onto his lap, mustering any sort of confidence she could find out of her while wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him close, feeling through his thick long hair. Their bodies molded together on the kitchen chair, letting any space between them vanish. Beth hadn't understood where this desire came from, but once she was threading her fingers into his hair and staring him down, she knew why.

They hadn't been alone in what seemed like forever. In reality, it hadn't been long, but they sure didn't feel much privacy was given to them.

Daryl's eyes searched Beth's quietly. They stayed together for a little while, speaking to each other silently before Daryl broke that silence. His lips reached hers instantly as they were only a close inch apart. Beth's eyes widened at his sense of desire she hadn't felt before. His hands moved up the sides of her hips, working their way to her mid back before pulling her impossibly closer. They worked together, slowly letting desire fill in their minds as they gripped each other unintentionally harder. A grunt escaped Daryl's mouth barely as Beth curled her fingers in his hair forcefully at the moment he bit her lip. He was a caring man, but he knew when to be rough. Beth wasn't porcelain, though she looked it. She certainly didn't mind the extra aggression coming from him. He could feel a smile coming from Beth, intertwined in their embrace.

She caught herself giggling the moment Daryl lifted them both from the chair effortlessly, never letting their connection divide. He moved her body so she could wrap her legs around his hips, holding her by the small of her back. Daryl struggled to keep his cool as Beth dug her lower body into his. He groaned at the natural reaction on top of the welly developed feelings this girl brought him. She smiled, pulling away from their kiss only for a moment.

They both were impressed at his ability to make way through the house without stumbling over anything in the process. Beth kept her lips locked on his even after she was dropped onto the bed. Her naturally curled hair splayed across the wrinkled sheets beneath them. Daryl kept himself aware of his weight over her, making sure to prop himself up over her. Beth noticed his cautions and responded by pulling him into her. He laughed at her struggle to maintain a constant stream of air going into her lungs with his large weight on her.

"Yep. Get off me," Beth's playful pushes and giggles on made him fall even deeper than he had earlier. She was down right the most beautiful person he'd ever got the chance to lay hands on. He made sure to follow her instructions, not wanting to screw up their moment together.

Beth pushed Daryl onto the bed, taking his breath away as his head hit the place where Beth's recently laid. She climbed onto him gently, bringing her hands to cup his face. Her hair tickled his neck as she leaned in for a long soft kiss. The heat in the room calmed a little bit as they both relaxed their bodies. Beth broke away just for a little while, taking in his halfway closed eyes. He was enjoying her presence more than she could ever imagine.

Her heart skipped a little at his forceful move towards her neck. She sunk into him while he went away, nipping and kissing her tender skin. He worked at the base of her neck and made his way down to her chest. He stopped midway and went back to her lips. Beth couldn't remember the last time she had been embraced that passionately. Hell, she didn't think this ever happened to her.

They kept at it for what seemed like hours. After some time passed they shed most of their clothes, leaving thin undergarments between them. Beth's rigid breathing was mostly because of nerves. The last time she let a man in too close resulted in complete loss of power. Zach wasn't the nicest guy and he sure as hell wasn't romantic. He was more selfish than anything, especially in bed. Daryl could tell she closed off a part of herself as she covered her chest while thinking of something, obviously being bugged by it.

"We don't havta do anythin' ya don't wanna," Daryl pulled her attention back to him. She smiled at his politeness. This man was something else. Beth released her grasp on her chest and pulled him in once again. She knew he wouldn't force anything upon her. The past still lingered in the back of her head briefly. Pushing those thoughts away, Beth dove back in, increasing the temperature between them by at least twenty degrees. Daryl knew in that instance she wanted him as much as he wanted her despite her noticeable worries prior.

The next few hours they absorbed each other's being while effortlessly releasing any tension between them. The pleasure felt through the simple act of skin upon skin left nothing but pure ecstasy floating through the air. Daryl could barely keep control of himself as Beth moaned his name into his ear as they connected into one. She was a much different woman between the sheets than she was when simply sitting across him like normal. Sure they had awkward moments in between their new discovery of love for each other, but that only made the intense moments they had burst with uncontrollable passion that drove each to their own edge simultaneously before they collapsed next to one another, breathing hard in the process.

What they had done Daryl wouldn't have considered anything close to his past experiences with women. What he used to consider sensual was nothing compared to what felt moments ago. He let Beth open up to him in the most intimate way a human could. She trusted him and wasn't disappointed. They laid together in their bare skin for a few more hours before finding the strength to put on clothes after hearing Merle's heavy footsteps make way from the outside to the futon.

Daryl held Beth the rest of the night, even after Maggie arrived home as well. She fell asleep in his arms, holding his opposite shoulder from her position on his right side. Her soft breathing lulled Daryl into a deep sleep as well, taking him away from what he considered better than any dreams he'd ever have.

**A/N: Managed another chapter. Two days in a row, woo! Hope you enjoyed the last part. :) Tell me what ya think! Thanks for all the lovely reviews!**


	19. Chapter 19

"Beth!" Maggie's voice carried throughout the paper thin walls with great force. The only response Beth managed was a moan from within the crumpled sheets wrapped around her face. She struggled to gain her sense of reality while listening to Maggie's consistent yells from the kitchen. Warm arms pulled Beth in tighter as she attempted to escape the mess of a bed, making her smile warmly. Daryl's bare chest molded to her back while his head fit lightly on her neck.

"Where ya goin'?" His voice was gruff only because of the early morning still grabbing hold of him. Beth's heart fluttered at the sound of his words, making her melt back into the bed only to hear Maggie's voice once more. Beth cursed underneath her breath as she pried her way out of Daryl's grasp to succumb to Maggie's shrieks.

She had barely enough time to exit the hallway before Maggie was on her, pointing repeatedly at the kitchen while talking in tongues. Beth looked at her sister with a brow cocked high.

"Beth, get it!" Maggie tugged at her sister's shirt as if she was five.

"Oh hell, I told ya I'd kill the damned thing," Merle appeared with from the bathroom with his hand far down in his pants, scratching himself in the process. Maggie's eyes flickered to him and back towards the kitchen.

"What are you even talking about?" Beth shoved her sister off of her while walking into the living room.

"It's a rat!" Merle chuckled at the brunette sister before walking between them and disappearing once again. Beth rolled her eyes at Maggie while she attempted to hide a smile. Maggie's fear of small rodents came about because of Beth. She'd get a kick out of Maggie's screams while her hands danced with her shirt, trying to release the tiny creatures. Her mother would scold Beth, but it was all too worth it for her.

"What's all tha screamin' for? Thought a damn murderer's in here," Daryl scratched the top of his head while making his way out of the bedroom. His hand found Beth's hip before squinting at the natural light making its way into the house.

"Maggie's being a big baby," Maggie glared at Beth before jumping back to her side as Merle made his way towards her with his hand clamped shut.

"Get that thing away from me!" Maggie half laughed and screamed as Merle's fist faked her out. He got a kick out of scaring her before letting the creature out of the house and into the lawn.

"You women are scared of anythin' that looks a little intimidatin'. Even just a baby mouse," Maggie rolled her eyes at Merle while Daryl grunted. Beth wasn't as bad as her sister, but there were times where he had to do the dirty work and kill a few spiders on her behalf.

"I assume you'll be making breakfast after waking us all up?" Beth eyed her sister humorously. Maggie groaned before entering the kitchen; Merle's eyes even left the television to follow her stride. Daryl watched his brother's interest in Beth's sister and shook his head. He'd always taken a liking to any type of women, mostly stupid, but there were a few he'd manage to stare at for more than he should. Merle felt a slight sting on his arm where Beth slapped him playfully.

"Keep your eyes off my sister's ass," Beth watched Merle shrug his shoulders in guilty pleasure.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep mah eyes upbove water, gotcha," He managed to grumble before switching the channel.

…

"Got any plans today, lovebirds?" Maggie's nickname for Beth and Daryl made them both practically gag on their omelettes. Merle enjoyed their reactions as much as Maggie.

"Do you have any plans to get out?" The room silenced before Daryl grunted, making Maggie and Beth laugh at Beth's sarcasm. She was getting used to her sister and was starting to not mind her presence.

"Hush. Seriously though, do you?"

Beth looked at Daryl whom stuffed his mouth to the max while picking apart the peppers from the egg. His forehead creased at the initial jab of Beth's elbow before shrugging his shoulders.

"Possibly go out?" Beth's smile melted Daryl on the inside. They truly didn't go out much. It was the least he could do for her.

"Yeah lil brother, take yer woman to the bar or somethin' real special."

"Only you'd think a bar is romantic," Beth joked. Merle nodded his head in agreement before grabbing both his empty plate and Maggie's. Maggie thanked him before disappearing into the living room.

"Well," Beth rubbed Daryl's thigh underneath the table, getting his full attention away from the food, "What do you think? Lets go do something!" Beth pursed her lip while raising an eyebrow. She was excited to see a smirk grow on his face.

"How's 'bout a walk?"

"Anything to get out of this house," Beth squeezed his knee cap before planting a kiss on his cheek, lingering a little bit before brushing her hand on his the other side of his face.

…

By the time the two made their way into the outskirts of their neighborhood the sun disappeared into darkened clouds. The wind picked up gradually, but Daryl insisted little sprinkles of water wouldn't hurt much. They had walked miles it seemed, kicking up rocks beneath their feet while enjoying each other's presence. The low buzz of city noises they normal heard each day simmered down. Instead, their ears filled with the soft sounds of kids laughing far off and birds chirping timidly. Everything living seemed to calm down once they made their way away from the neighborhoods and especially the city's busy streets. They walked in unison, letting their hands brush against each other ever so often, enjoying the quietness around them.

"I'd much rather live out here," Beth sighed, wrapping her fingers with Daryl's. Her gaze fell upon the far away woods while they walked down the ending sidewalk. They had reached the complete edge of the big city's radar, looking down the rolling fields that held miles of highway towards their right. Though they stood still in the center of urban land, Beth felt more at peace than she had in weeks with miles on miles of grass to her left. The fields mesmerized her as they were cut short by a line of trees. She hadn't missed the old farm house in forever except for that moment. She squeezed Daryl's hand tighter, trying to let the fighting memory of her father flee from her mind.

"Me too," Daryl forgot Beth had spoken until he felt her fingers curl tighter in his grip. Merle drug him into the city years prior, leaving their comfortable cabin to the bank. He never let himself forgive Merle for giving up so easily on a place that meant so much to him. Without anyone else to turn to, Daryl kept with his brother, moving into his piece of shit home that was now nothing more than scraps and rubble.

"Let's do it," Beth looked up at Daryl with all the seriousness in the world trapped inside her eyes. He grunted before turning his head down.

"Got no job to do it and sure as hell can't leave Merle alone. He'll just end up behind bars one way or another."

"You don't have to protect him, you know," Daryl jerked his head towards Beth. He watched her face change.

"Ain't protecting him. He's family. Gotta stick together."

"I barely talk to the majority of my family. Blood relation doesn't mean much to me," Beth could feel the heat radiating off of his body the more she talked. She practically suggested to leave his brother behind. For the first time Daryl seemed quite upset with her. She felt a breeze go through her fingers once Daryl's hand left hers.

"Just 'cause you've got problems with your family don't mean I'm leavin' mine behind," Daryl walked past her and farther out into the road leading nowhere. Beth managed to catch up to his long strides, walking as fast as she could without breaking into a jog.

"I'm sorry Daryl. I didn't mean you needed to leave him behind. I was just thinking that he's a big boy. He can handle himself. I just don't think you see that."

"Last time I let him go alone he got locked up. Hell, no. Last time I left him alone he was drinkin' his own blood on the damned floor!" Daryl stopped, turning to her with rage she hadn't seen before. He grabbed her shoulder harder than he had meant, making her face twist in slight pain.

"Some assholes came into our house when I was out with you! He ain't even know what year it was 'cause they knocked his brain 'round real good," His southern accent heightened while Beth shrunk into herself. She'd never gotten yelled at by him or _touched _like that since Zach got ahold of her. He hadn't meant for the great force, but with all the bad things falling on his shoulders, Daryl couldn't help but lash out. "If I woulda just been there," He turned his back on Beth, hiding his upset eyes, "Maybe I coulda done somethin'."

"You can't hold that against yourself," Beth touched his arm, "Or me. You can't be there twenty-four seven, Daryl. Things are bound to go wrong." She walked away from his back and faced him once again. His head hung low as his breath slowed down. He rubbed away an escaped tear roughly.

"No one ever cared 'bout me my entire life 'cept Merle," Daryl's words were practically a grumble; his anger was still lingering.

"I care about you now," Beth sad tone was evident. She was hurt knowing Daryl didn't see at that moment she cared about him more than she cared about herself, "I care and that'll never change." She wrapped her arms around his waist to pull him in, showing him physically that her words were set in stone.

"Ain't that cute," A voice emerged from behind Daryl, startling Beth while Daryl tensed up, grabbing ahold of Beth's arm before turning sharply around.

Two men came off of the sidewalk opposite of them, making their way to the middle of the road, feet away from the couple. Their faces were unfamiliar to Beth; scruff around their jaws aged them quite well along with crows feet settling in around their eyes. They were large men with intimidating arms holding well kept guns in their grasp. Though they were frightful looking, Daryl matched in stature and also aggressive demeanor.

"The fuck do you want?" Beth didn't think Daryl's voice could come out any more intense than it had minutes ago, but she was undoubtedly proven wrong. His grip on her arm tightened once he talked. She winced at the pain but kept silent, hidden halfway behind him.

"No need to be vulgar around a young lady such as this," The tallest and biggest of the two moved his body slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the timid blonde behind Daryl, "Can't see you as much of a babysitter, but looks like her parents trust you." The man behind him snickered, sending rage through Daryl's veins.

"_Fuck you,"_ He managed to talk through his teeth.

"Now, now. No need to be throwing those words towards an armed man. Last guy that did that ended up with a hole through his skull," He pointed towards his temple, "I don't want to get blood on that pretty little thing behind you."

"Don't think he recognizes me, boss," The man behind him pitched in. Daryl's glare caught his eyes, trying to figure out who he was. Nothing clicked, making Daryl even more frustrated than ever.

"Can't say much for you, but I sure as hell know he doesn't know me," The man with the name of 'boss' so far smiled at Daryl, making the hair on his neck stick up, "He will though."

"What seems to be your problem with him exactly?" Beth surprised all three men as she managed to get Daryl to loosen his grip and move to his side. She was tired of dealing with assholes. To her, these men were nothing more than putting on a show; an act that didn't phase her much.

"Well looky here, got yourself a brave one," The man took a step forward with a smile growing in size across his cheeks. Daryl tried to push her back again but Beth stood her ground. The man walked closer, inspecting her a little too closely for Daryl's liking. He pushed the man away, standing in front of Beth again with a gun pointed towards his forehead.

"Caleb, put your fucking weapon down," Daryl's breath stopped as he put the face and name together. Caleb's hand fell to his side with his finger still on the trigger.

"Ah, looks like he knows who you are now," The man still unnamed stepped back. Amusement flooded over him.

"What the hell do you possibly want from me now? I got nothin' for you pieces of _shit_." Daryl clenched his fists.

"Oh we're getting our satisfaction," The man smirked, "But that isn't enough for us. Especially since your son of a bitch brother killed _my _bitch."

"'cuse me?" Daryl couldn't comprehend his words. The man's smile fell, turning into a set line. He walked up towards Daryl, setting his face inches away, breathing down his throat.

"He killed my _bitch._"

"My brother is a fuck up most tha time but I can tell ya this, he ain't ever put his hands on a damn women. No less killed a goddamn one." Daryl kept his eyes set on the angered man.

"To think, I almost let you two slide. I almost said 'fuck it' to all the shit you both stole from my business. When I found out my broad was fuckin' your brother and giving him _my _product, I lost it. Before I even had the chance to get my hands around her _fucking _throat he'd done the job for me."

"She killed herself, you bastard," Daryl spit the words in his face. Beth gasped as the man's hand gripped the gun, pointing it and settling the barrel onto Daryl's forehead now.

"You're testing your luck, fucker. Don't. you. fucking. try. me," His words seeped through his teeth. Caleb stood his ground beside the man, attempting to see the petite figure behind the two growling men. His efforts went without reward, bringing him back into the reality of things.

"Hope you enjoyed our bonfire," He pitched in. Daryl's head jerked towards Caleb though he still felt the warm metal pressed onto the side of his head.

"That's right. That piece of shit house sure did make for a nice blaze." The man chuckled. Beth's eyes grew wide.

"What was the fucking point of that?" Daryl spit at them.

"When you mess with my business, that's one thing. When you mess with what's _mine, _then you're in for a real good show," The man's voice rose. His fingers reddened as he held the gun with a firm grip.

"Brian, there's a kid over there watchin'," Caleb's anxiety shown through his voice. Brian kept his gun pointed but turned towards the unwanted visitor. Without a second thought Daryl grabbed Brian's hand and swung with the other, catching his jaw at an awkward angle.

"Beth, run!" Daryl hadn't had much of a chance as Caleb dropped his weapon, grabbing onto Daryl, who blindly attached his knuckles into Brian's head once again. Beth stood frozen in her place.

"Get the fuck out of here _now!_" Daryl managed to yell once again before getting a blow to the face.

"I-I'm not leaving you!" Caleb's attempts to get Daryl off of his boss were unsuccessful. Instead he'd received an elbow to the face. He clamped onto his bloody nose while looking over at Beth who still stood, stuck with terror. He released his nose, leaving blood running down his mouth and onto his clothes. He walked closer to Beth, making her walk backwards. Daryl fell off of Brian as he received a blow to his jaw. Beth's eyes darted towards Daryl on the ground and back at Caleb. She watched his swaying body move towards her until she sprinted the opposite direction. She made her way across the street and picked up the toddler who stood and watched the whole thing, holding onto Beth with his arms wrapped around her neck as she sprinted with all of her might. The weight on her chest slowed her down only a little bit; adrenaline kicked in as she made kept on going until she could see her house coming into view. Tears fell down her face as she collapsed onto her front yard, holding the child in her shaking arms.

"Beth? Beth!" Maggie opened the door slowly, trying to figure out what the commotion was. She locked her sights onto Beth's fallen body, running towards her sister's side.

"Call the police," Beth managed to speak through her uncontrollable breathing and sobs. The child stayed tucked in her arms, looking at Maggie with wide, confused eyes.

"Beth, wh-"

"Call the police!" Without a second thought Maggie dug out her phone in her back pocket, speedily dialing 911.

**A/N: I am SO sorry about not updating sooner. With writers block and a hectic schedule I have not been able to properly sit down and write. My work, schooling and lifting comes first, though I wish I could do this all day. Sorry to leave you on a cliff hanger, it's cruel but I love it! :) Your thoughts mean a lot so tell me how you think it's going to go! I promise for more updates and I'm thinking of a sequal to this, possibly post ZA! Good idea? Hope you enjoy :) **


	20. Chapter 20

The child hidden beneath her shaking body stirred uneasily. His soft brown hair brushed against Beth's damp chest. She hadn't realized her fingers dug into his soft, white skin longer than appreciated, but she didn't have it in her to let go. He looked up at her for a second, eyes wide, but with little fear. Their eyes locked, only to be broken as the child covered his face, hiding away from Beth's watery stare. His cries interrupted her own as she fought to release her grasp on his clothes.

She had almost forgotten where she was and why. Her rapid breathing practically numbed her senses. She had lost her train of thought while gazing at the boy; only remembering Daryl's yells before she left him alone with the two men, picking up the small boy who witnessed it all and taking him far away from danger. Once the numbness started to fade, Beth's vision focused along with her hearing.

"Where the hell is my brother?" Merle's stern voice strengthened the child's cries into Beth's chest. She held the child tighter, looking right through Merle. Beth didn't flinch at his loud mouth. She was all too used to the tone.

"He told me to run, so I did," Beth managed, brushing the child's hair with her careful fingers instinctively.

"Run from what? Best be explain' or I'll go find out myself!" Merle took his hand through his short crew cut before stalking over to the pair on the ground. He tried his best to refrain from slapping Beth's face, though he never took lightly to things happening to Daryl.

"Two men came up from behind us. I-I don't really remember much I just know they're the ones who burnt your house down. They did it and Daryl's with them," Her eyes started to water at the thought of Daryl up against two dangerous men. Dangerous men with _guns._

"I swear ta christ they kill my brother-" Maggie interrupted Merle's threats by walking out of the house with the her phone stuck tightly to her ear.

"Where are they?" Her voice was frantic, but she attempted to stay calm.

"I don't kn-"

"God dammit, my baby brother might be dead by the time all you get done with your chit chat and the cops cruise on by! Get off the ground and help me find them bastards." Merle grabbed Beth's arm and jerked her up. She furrowed her brow and pulled away.

"I'm trying my best okay! Maggie tell them to get here now. I'll ride with them. Please, for the love of God, tell them to hurry up." Her head was mixed with thoughts as Maggie nodded, entering the house again to leave Merle and Beth alone with the frightened child clutching Beth's leg.

"Ta hell with ridin' with the cops. Point towards where yer ass came runnin' from and I'll sort this out myself." Beth bit her cheek to hold back from yelling at him and pointed down the street instead. Merle strided towards the truck, slamming the door in the process before speeding out of the driveway. He hadn't the slightest idea where he was heading, but he knew he'd find his brother.

…

A few minutes passed before Merle forced himself to slow down, searching the sidewalks, houses, anywhere that might have his brother, alive or not. He couldn't remember the last time he was out looking for Daryl instead of the other way around. He tunneled his anger into tracking, a hunter's instinct that fit well in the Dixon bloodline. His foot unconsciously slammed onto the brake, stopping in front of small splatters of blood. Without a second to think he jumped out of the truck and knelt onto the heated asphalt.

His hand dipped into the biggest pool, revealing fresh blood staining his finger tips. Rubbing it between his fingers he looked around, scanning the remaining houses and fading tree line. He felt a cold metal pressing the back of his skull as he tried to stand.

"Get up," A gruff voice spoke from behind him. Without a fight, Merle lifted off of the ground, pulling his hands into the air as a sign of defeat.

"Where's my brother," His southern accent intensified. The man behind him released the gun off of the back of Merle's head, though he kept it pointed as he made his way to face Merle.

"What's it matter? You're the one I was actually looking for," The tall man smiled, making Merle feel sick to his stomach, "It was very convenient though, seeing your brother walking down the street with his _daughter_." He chuckled, but Merle kept his face straight, away from any type of emotion except anger.

"The fuck do you want from me? I ain't done nothin'."

"Oh, but you did do _something. _Something of mine," He kept the barrel between Merle's eyes, "Like I told your brother, I was going to let you two live your pathetic lives in peace. Thought I'd be nice for a change. But when I found out you fucked what was rightfully mine, I didn't take lightly to that. No, I didn't," He stepped closer to Merle, practically breathing down his throat, "First you steal my drugs. Then you take my money. The last straw was when you _fucked _my woman."

"Man, I didn't know. She ain't told me that," Merle was now pleading, "Please, lemme go and let my brother go. He ain't done nothin' but cover my ass." He kept his place in front of the gun, shaking his hands to show they were innocent.

"Was she good?" The man asked. Merle squinted his eyes at his question.

"Did she give you what you wanted? My drugs, sex. Did you get what you wanted before you killed her?" His eyes were wild. Merle backed up into his truck. Before he hand time to answer the man went on, "When she was with me, we had it good. She was a firecracker at times. I had her callin' me all sorts of names in bed. Best one yet, the Governor. Did she ever call you that? Or did she stick to redneck bastard?"

"Fuck you! She clocked out herself. Ain't did shit to her!" Merle spat at the man. He wiped away the liquid from his face, digging the gun into Merle's forehead.

"I worked years for Mendel and Martinez. Best in the business and brothers at that. No problems from any of his clients until you two _hicks _came into town. I sent Caleb the night after you mugged one of my people to find you, but instead he got your brother. Then your brother decided to take matters into his own hands and take a few swings. I bet he's regretting that right about now," The "Governor" looked over her shoulder at the last few houses on the street, "I got orders a while later to take down your house," He smiled at Merle, "I had no problem with that one."

"You got what ya wanted. You got yer revenge now let us be," Merle kept his stare behind the man, looking towards the houses for any type of movement in any of them with no luck.

"No, no I did not. But now I am."

"Ain't gonna kill me out in the open. You'd be one stupid son of'a bitch ta do that." Merle kept his calm, trying to reason with the man, "May as well do it in private so you can go back to doin' yer shitty business without gettin' caught."

"How about I do the decision making here," He lowered his gun from Merle's face before swiftly crashing it into his temple. Merle fell to the ground. Blackness consumed him.

…

"Where did you say?" Michonne's voice was sharp. She was frustrated with Beth's lack of direction, though she insisted she knew where she was going.

"Just keep go-" She stopped mid sentence, spying Merle's rusted out truck in the middle of the road. "Stop!" She yelled from the back of the police vehicle, making both Rick and Michonne jump. She frantically clicked the door handle until Michonne stepped out and opened the door for her. Beth attempted to run before Michonne's hand clamped down.

"Wait here," Michonne pulled her gun out of the holster on her hip. Rick followed suit as the two took careful steps towards the truck. He held out his hand, stopping Michonne and pointing at the blood in front of the vehicle. Beth watched anxiously, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. Maggie had texted her several times in the past five minutes.

**What am I supposed to do with this kid until his mom picks him up?**

One minute had passed until the next one arrived,** Please stay safe, Beth.**

**Don't do anything stupid and listen to the police.**

Beth calmed down somewhat while she read the messages. Her sister would never stop caring for her in the annoying, sisterly way that she did so well. She watched the way Michonne silently stepped towards the vehicle, crouching low while holding the gun close to her body. The two cops relaxed once they realized no one was in the vehicle. Beth's heart raced, looking around for anyone, for Daryl and Merle to come out in the open. Before Rick had time to look back at Beth, gun shots fired. All three hit the ground, collapsing their bodies and finding somewhere to shield themselves.

Beth managed to scramble behind the police car, pressing her palms on the hot pavement while sliding underneath the car. Her body clung to the ground while she watched Michonne's body press up against Merle's truck. She could see the way Michonne was caught off guard; this was one instance she wasn't ahead of the game.

Rick made his way to Michonne's side, clutching his right shoulder while blood seeped through his hand. Beth clamped her hand onto her mouth to save herself from crying out. She'd never seen someone get shot before. Michonne took her hand and placed it onto Rick's mouth, silencing his agonizing moans. The shots seized for a second, bringing silence once again.

"We need back up," Michonne whispered to Rick. He nodded his head, barely conscious. His eyes fluttered, completely blacking out on Michonne's shoulder. She shrugged him off, making sure his body slumped onto the vehicle before she got onto her feet again, crouching still. Michonne searched for Beth, finding her stare and pointing towards her gun. Beth was confused at first, but soon she understood. Michonne pointed towards the the police car door and then her gun again, placing a finger to her mouth and then nodding her head. Beth slowly made her way out from beneath the vehicle, cracking the driver's side door and opening it ever so quietly.

She managed to open the vehicle door only to have a bullet shatter both window's glass above her. She grabbed her mouth again, smothering the scream that tried to escape. She looked towards Michonne again, getting the courage to continue. Blindly reaching her hand in she felt the sharp shards of glass cutting her skin. Her fingers reached, finally resting on a handgun left underneath the driver's seat. Clutching the unfamiliar weapon in her hand she checked the safety-her father always made sure his daughters knew how to use it.

Looking back at Michonne Beth attempted a smile, though the smile was nothing more than a thin line holding back the anxiety she felt. She looked on, staring at Michonne. The cop's hand pointed towards Beth's weapon and back to hers. She jerked her head towards the other side of the truck, signaling she was ready to shoot. Beth shook her head and agreed, but she knew there was a slim chance she'd hit anyone and a big chance she'd be dead within seconds. Michonne's fingers flew up, counting down from three. Beth's heart raced fast, practically beating out of her chest. She knew at that moment-scared shitless-that she'd do anything to protect her family. Michonne's index finger was left; Beth took a deep breath before rising up simultaneously with Michonne before hearing one last shot.

Beth's eyes grew wide at the sight before her. Daryl's broken build barely held the gun in his hand. Michonne dropped her weapon to her side, relieved by the sight of his bloody face. Brian's body collapsed to the ground; a single bullet rested in the back of his head.

"Daryl," Beth started to sob, throwing the gun onto the ground as she ran up to him. He dropped to the Earth before Beth had the chance to catch him. His strength simmered down to nothing as adrenaline left his body. She grasped his head, brushing the blood off of his cheeks.

"Daryl, I'm so sorry I left you," Her voice was barely audible in between violent sobs. He managed to look up at her with a calm face.

"Caleb's dead. Got to him after he knocked Merle out. Dragged him inside and tried to kill him in front of me an-," Daryl couldn't finish. He violently coughed, groaning at the throbbing pain in his chest. Michonne made her way to the pair, holding the gun firmly in her hands. Daryl managed a mutter before pointing towards the house behind him. "It's safe." Michonne nodded before leaving them and going into the house cautiously.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry," Beth let her head fall onto his softly, letting tears roll down her cheeks, connecting to Daryls forehead. He grabbed the back of her head, taking his fingers through her messy hair.

"Ain't done nothin' wrong," His voice was barely a whisper, "I'm tha one that let this happen."

**A/N: Sorry if I did a sloppy job on this chapter. I tried my absolute best I could :) Brian (The Governor) did infact hook up/date Carol. I thought I'd change up things a little since its, well, my story. I hope I didn't disappoint and I thought it'd be good to leave if off at this point. Sorry about the slow update again. I don't remember the last time I was ever this busy, but I write in my free time. Thanks for sticking with me, you all are too sweet :) I'll be trying my best to finish the next chapter soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

Daryl's body swept in and out of consciousness, holding onto reality with slippery fingers. He was aware of the chilly morning air slipping through the cracked window close by, though his eyes remained trapped under heavy lids. Faint whispers filtered through the pillow covering his ear along with the steady sound of the heater kicking on. He realized time passed slowly and his head still ached like the first blow he received from the now deceased drug dealer.

With as much strength as he could muster, Daryl reached his hand towards his forehead, feeling the tightly wound bandage on his head and groaning at the protesting muscles that hadn't moved much lately. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes; he didn't want to see the damage the two low lifes did to his body. All he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep was inevitable; opening his eyes wasn't.

Before sleep consumed his battered body a soft hand brushed against his sweating forehead. He flinched but still kept his eyes close, too tired to care or give a damn.

"It's just me," A familiar voice cooed close to his ear. The hand wiped away his stranded hair into the curve of his ear gently, making him remember everything with sharp clarity.

"How many days it been?" He was surprised by the throaty tone exiting his mouth. The need for sleep dominated his need for water, though he was now reminded just how much he truly missed out on when he was asleep. Hunger crept in, taking thirst and sleep down a notch.

"Just under a week. You and Merle left the hospital only yesterday," The voice laughed calmly, "I'm still getting used to taking care of you two. Maggie's been doing most of the work with Merle. He's quite a pain even with a broken eye socket."

Dayl mustered his energy and finally opened his eyes. Beth's body sat on the edge of the bed, turning slightly to mend to his wrapped chest. She hadn't noticed his stare and quite frankly he hadn't realized it either. He'd forgotten how long it'd been since he saw her face. Sinking in and out of consciousness, Daryl barely thought of who was tending to him. Instead he let himself fade in and out. Her face was the last he remembered seeing before blacking out in front of the house.

"It's nice to see you're finally here with me," Beth caught his gaze, smiling at him, "I've been waiting for you to actually come back to reality. The pain pills work wonders, I'm sure."

"Ain't gonna ask me what happened?" Daryl's voice cleared somewhat.

"I don't want to know..." She trailed off. Her hands worked at securing a new bandage, crumpling up the old one and tossing it into a nearby trashbin, "Unless you want to tell me."

Daryl looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes again. She kept at her job, touching him with as much pressure as a feather. He hadn't realized she had finished until he felt her hand grab the top of his. She kept quiet. The past week she had done nothing but hold his hand for hours, waiting for any response-this was something she could wait for as well.

"All's I 'member is wakin' up to Merle in a house," He paused, trying to remember as much as he could. He laughed at himself, "The house smelled like piss n' stale beer. Can't member much but I do member kicking that Caleb kid's ass."

"Mhm," Beth smiled, listening intently.

"He got a few blows, but I nailed him in the nose again. Knocked tha bastard right off his feet," Daryl smirked, "That's when Merle woke up. Don't know how he got up. He looked real beat."

"Yeah, he looks surprisingly worse than you." Beth sighed.

"'nyways, Merle got up n' said somethin' but I don't member," Daryl's face became stone. His voice lowered and his tone darkened, "That's when Merle ended it. Least he ended it with Caleb." Beth dropped her head down shamefully, watching the way Daryl's fingers curled into a fist and lightly collapsed. She didn't want to know the dirty details and was glad he didn't go too much into detail.

"He passed out after it. I tried catchin' him, but he fell too fast. So I stuck him up against tha wall and grabbed the closest gun I could get."

"I know what happened next," Beth's face fell, her messy ponytail barely held the loose hair around her face that covered her sad eyes. He felt her sadness and stopped talking, looking onto his chest down to his legs hidden under the covers.

"Why'm I not in jail?" Beth looked up at Daryl, her lips pursed.

"Because you didn't do anything wrong. Same as Merle."

"I killed a man," Daryl kept his eyes on her. He looked for any type of fear lingering in her eyes but only found her sad pupils somewhat dilated. Her face didn't change one bit after the words left his mouth. It kept him on edge just a little bit. He couldn't help but think Beth was a little too accepting at times.

"What happened to those men...They deserved it. I know that, you know that, the police know that. Everything that happened between them and you and your brother, is taken care of. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Their people are gonna come after my brother and me," Daryl felt her hand connect to his cheek, "They'll kill me n' him. They'll kill you."

Beth dipped her head down towards his, meeting his worried eyes with a smile. She kissed his lips lightly before pulling back.

"The brothers you mean? They're locked up. Gone for good. Officer Grimes was proud to give me the news, though he wanted to tell you for himself," She chuckled to herself, "You were out of it. I told him I'd tell you when you finally woke up."

Daryl watched her face once again, taking in the news along with her milky skin contrasting her bright gray eyes. Her eyes flickered towards him, making his body feel less pain and more warmth than he'd felt in a while. Though only a week passed by, he felt bound to too many beds, hospital or not; either unconscious or half awake and in a lucid state. For the first time in what felt like forever he didn't feel his hurting body. He only felt the loving gaze engrossing his body and mind. She trapped his thoughts, tunneling only her soft face into his brain. He felt relieved of the news, but even more content with her being by his side.

"I'm sorry about all this," He began to apologize once again. He only received a short shake of her head and a smile.

"Daryl, quit saying you're sorry. What's there to be sorry for?"

"Brought you in ta all of this. You woulda been much better off without it all." Beth furrowed her brow and shook her head more quickly than the first time she had done it.

"You're joking right?"

"Suppose I'm not," Daryl looked anywhere but her eyes, taking in the sight of Beth's bedroom. He knew she wouldn't accept his apologies since they were useless anyways.

"I told you before," She got up off of the side of the bed. His chest tightened at the thought of her leaving the room. He couldn't help but think he could've kept his mouth shut. She walked towards the other side of the bed, climbing up slowly and to his side, propping her head up with her elbow. His chest loosened as she gently rubbed her hand on his chest, "Every bad thing that happened to us, to _you, _led us to where we are now. I mean, yeah, I wish things would've happened without all the blood and violence," She let her cheek connect to his forearm carefully, "But I'd never take back anything that had happened. I wouldn't take back meeting you. Ever."

"Me either," Daryl softly replied. She barely heard his voice come out; if she wouldn't have been so close she would've missed the simple, but yet strong words.

"Don't say you're sorry again, okay?" Beth looked up at him again. He had his head turned just enough so they could make eye contact. He nodded.

"M'kay."

They laid for hours together, taking in the noon sun through the wrinkled sheets, silently breathing in each other's company. For the first few hours of Daryl's aware state, Beth wrapped herself up by him. It was more than enough, through the growing pain once again in his head and chest, he didn't have the heart to break their mutual silence just yet. Though hunger and thirst fought a battle in his system, Daryl kept quiet, feeling Beth's soft cheek against his skin. If he wouldn't have been stuck in bed because of his injuries he wouldn't have minded admitting that he wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else in the world except in bed with Beth Greene.


	22. Chapter 22

"Daryl, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep that up," Beth's scolding tone didn't phase his actions. He kept his left hand on the mattress and the other firmly gripping the wooden board on the edge of the bed, pushing upwards with little to no luck. His side still ached, though he was mostly healed, and his head throbbed something awful. He was beginning to get flustered. Beth watched silently, chewing at her nails to keep from going and grabbing his arm for support.

"You don't have to get up. She can come in here," Daryl shook his head, grunting at her response.

"Ain't havin' no one come in here to pity me."

"She's coming to visit you and also me. Besides, she's not one to pity," Beth walked over to him, connecting her arm underneath his. His grumbles didn't match his inability to defy her actions, bringing him to his feet finally with the a little help, "She's glad to finally meet you, even under the circumstances."

"No pity party?" Daryl looked towards Beth, smirking slightly. She nodded, grabbing a shirt from the dresser and handing it to him thoughtfully.

"No pity party," She smiled, kissing his lips with a little more force than he anticipated. His balance faltered, making her smile through their embrace.

"You should sit back down," Daryl noticed the subtle change in her always too caring voice. He knew it had been too long since she'd touched him with more than just mending hands that changed his bandages tenderly. He was all too aware of the way she'd sleep close, but just far enough she wouldn't hurt him in his sleep. There were too many nights he'd notice her breathing wasn't slowing and her eyes kept to the ceiling, thinking late into the night instead of dreaming. She worried too much about his body rebuilding itself; he wasn't a child and she knew that, but she kept her distance so he'd heal just a little faster. Today was different though. Her eyes were darker and her actions were rougher than what he'd received the past few weeks.

He knew for a fact she didn't want him to sit down because of his lack of balance when she kissed him. Too much time passed and they both knew that. He was just too much of a chicken shit to bring it up. Feelings and communicating with said problems weren't his fortey.

Daryl held his ground for a moment after she spoke, watching the way she crossed her arms over her chest, an eyebrow cocked high. He definitely didn't mind her frustration with him instead of the other way around. He would enjoy this all too well.

"Why? I jus got up," He leaned into her more than she had expected. His raspy tone tickled her ear while his hand creeped up under her shirt, establishing a connection onto her hip. Though his body was still healing-practically every abrasion was almost disappearing, she still felt a tinge of guilt when she placed her hand onto his chest.

"Ain't made of glass," She gasped at his blunt remark. Her fingers curled onto the top of his shoulder roughly. A subconscious doing that Daryl missed all too much. The air seemed to disappear between them; the room filled with thick tension. Beth bit her lip, feeling his stare bore into her with pent up emotions she felt herself.

"I'm not either." Daryl grunted at her statement. He had rarely seen this side of her and quite frankly it was his favorite side. The angelic woman before him never had much preference in using an assertive tone unless she felt it necessary. He took the open invitation get what he hadn't had in so long.

His lips crashed into hers with blunt force, taking away the last breath the room could give Beth. He gently, but effectively held the back of her neck while tugging at her lip in between savoring her soft flesh against his. Her hand snaked its way into his hair, tugging at the loose strands traveling down his neck. She brought him closer to her body, still aware of his healing skin, but forgetting any type of restrictions she made for herself. Nothing felt as good as being close to him.

Beth felt his hand travel higher, unfastening her bra while keeping most of his attention on her lips. He pulled back when his attempt at releasing her bra strap was successful. He watched the way her face flushed with color, giving him more than enough reasons to keep going.

"Yer friend's gonna come soon," He brought his hand towards her stomach, grabbing at her shirt and pulling upwards.

"And you have yet to stop what you're doing," Beth pulled him in for another kiss after he discarded her shirt and bra, throwing it somewhere behind him. She pushed him down onto the bed, forcing his back to connect to the sheets. Carefully crawling on top of him she placed her hands onto his chest, supporting her weight. He watched her silently, taking in her soft curves and dangling hair. Times like these he would ask himself how he'd ended up with something as close as perfection. Beth watched the way his eyes trailed her body, ending at her eyes. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear; nerves hit her like a train. The desirable look he gave her in that moment took away much of her dominant actions, leaving her once again like the shy girl she mostly was.

He noticed her reddened cheeks and the way she bit her lips to conceal her nerves. He pulled her into his chest, forgetting the slight pain he felt with her weight against him. His lips connected to her jaw, inching down the sharp line, stopping at the sweet spot on her neck. She breathed his name quietly into his ear, making his chest tighten. She had an innocent way about her actions which drove him to his limits. He gripped the side of her hip harder, making her smile mischievously.

"_Ouch_." She joked, making him chuckle at her sarcasm. He released his grip from her hip, making her protest with a frustrated sigh. Her only response was to slide her fingers into his hair while jerking her head to his neck, giving him what he had just done to her. His lips parted at the intentional nipping and sucking on his sensitive skin. The drive to shove her onto her back and show her how much of an effect she had on him was evident, though he enjoyed the way she controlled him, the way she held him down on the bed when he tried to move. Nothing could compare the way she wrapped him around her finger so easily. Her forceful kisses lingered; he could feel her warm breath on his skin as she traced a path down his chest, kissing his skin sporadically. Her fingers laced the loops of his jeans, tugging slightly while he propped his arm up, watching her with curious eyes.

Beth's head jerked towards the door. She could hear a faint noise along with Maggie's holler towards the two. Daryl groaned, placing his hands onto his face, running his hands through his hair. Beth did the same, though she smiled apologetically at Daryl before lifting herself off of him to grab her shirt.

"Already ain't likin' yer friend," Daryl's gruff voice made Beth laugh. She wasn't happy about the interruption as well, but they both knew company was bound to arrive soon.

"Be nice," Beth kissed his lips once again, lingering longer than she should have. She smiled at his pissy face, grabbing his arm and helping him up once again.

**A/N: I could sit here and apologize and explain why I haven't been updating but you all won't want to hear my complaining. Keeping it short and simple I've been having a stressful time with personal issues and whatnot :/. I know this is one of my shortest chapters but I really wanted to get something out to you guys. You all make my day so much brighter and I wanted to show my thanks to you. I'm hoping in the next few days to get the next chapter up and going so thank you for your support. You're all such beautiful people :)**


	23. Chapter 23

"Sasha!" Beth squealed, pulling her friend into her open arms. She received nothing short from love on the opposite end, taking in her friend's warm hug before pulling away and smiling apologetically, "I've missed you so much." Sasha wiped away a struggling tear from her eye before laughing with Beth. She nodded her head in agreement.

"It's been like hell without you working. Didn't think I'd miss you this much," Sasha hugged her once again, squeezing tightly before taking a look around Beth's small home. Her eyes met a rough looking man, standing awkwardly behind Beth with his hand stuck in his hair. Sasha smiled wide while taking a few strides towards him, pulling her hand out to shake his.

"I've heard _so _much about you," Beth's mouth hung open, slapping her friend's shoulder. Daryl's hand fell into Sasha's naturally, taking in the way her smile laid so naturally; she wasn't judging him like he had feared. He mumbled something on the line of 'thanks' before they parted awkwardly-more on Daryl's part than hers-both looking back to Beth. Daryl's pointless nerves soon dissipated once he saw the way her gray eyes lightened up. She hadn't been out of the house in a while and Dale insisted she'd stay at home until things became a little better with her family. Work wasn't of the importance in the household, making him feel uneasy. He wanted to heal quickly, to go out and find a job, to finally support his home.

"She's just teasing, Daryl," Beth stepped towards his side, wrapping her arm around the back of his waist and pulling herself into his side. She knew there would be a possibility of awkwardness between Daryl and any newcomer, so she felt it was her right to make things as comfortable as possible. His posture relaxed a little at her contact, pulling up a side of his lips while glancing down at her.

"Oh! Hold on a sec, I brought you something," Sasha dug through her purse. A small envelope appeared in her hand, "It's from all of us at the diner. We miss you."

Sasha handed Beth the card before Beth invited all three of them to sit on the cramped futon. Her careful hands broke the seal with ease, removing a small card with a cross decorated on the front. She smiled at Sasha before opening it, revealing a short, but powerful statement:

"_God gives his hardest battles_

_to his toughest soldiers."_

We love you, Beth.

Underneath held the whole diner crew's signatures. Beth fought against her natural reaction to cry. She sat for a second, reading bolded words over and over before she felt a weight on her shoulder. Sasha smiled, making it even more difficult to keep the tears from falling.

"We know you miss us, but your heart's here. We just wanted to let you know we're here for you. For your family, too." Beth hugged Sasha while Daryl sat on the other side of the two, taking the card from Beth's hand and studying it the same as she did. He wasn't much for religion or open affection, but something in him changed. Before he met Beth he would've easily thrown the card away before Merle saw him with it, laughing as he did. Today, though, he held the card, taking in every line. His attention was taken off the writting when he too felt the weight of Sasha's hand on him.

"I'm so glad you and your brother are safe and alive. Beth's so great and I know if she loves you, you must be pretty great as well."

"M'thanks," Daryl handed the card to Beth and attempted a smile at Sasha. She meant well and he didn't mind her concern and caring manner.

The three talked for a little while longer as if they all had been friends for years. Daryl eased into the girls' conversations, dropping his comments in when he felt necessary. Soon he was telling his own stories, making Sasha and Beth laugh and most importantly, bringing a smile back onto his _own_ face. He had grown so used to having someone else bring him happiness he'd forgotten about the times where he was his only friend; he almost forgot how it was to be completely alone.

Beth held his hand loosely while they all kept going with their talks, lightly squeezing his hand ever so often, reminding him she was still thinking about him. He started to go quiet again once he remembered how much he had changed ever since he stumbled into her house that awful night, blood stained and fearful.

He feared for himself, but more for his brother. Everything seemed to come undone in his life up until that moment. The moment when he met eyes with a surprised, timid creature that, instead of calling the police and ridding him from her house for good, cleaned up his wounds and silently accepted who he was without much question. He couldn't understand then why she didn't flee from his presence, why she didn't run the opposite direction. He knew now though, that no matter what evil came Beth's way, she still saw the good in it. She believed something more than what he could ever understand and instead of trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with her, he accepted it. He accepted the way she loved people no matter what and helped all that she could. Even when he and his brother barged into her life unexpectedly, she gave the Dixon brothers more than they ever deserved. Daryl knew now he had nothing to fear, but had everything to love.

"I was hoping to meet your sister and possibly your brother as well?" Sasha interrupted Daryl's thoughts quietly with her calming voice.

"Maggie's out with Merle actually," Beth looked at Daryl with a smirk. She bit her lip to hold back from laughing at his eye roll, "They're not on a _date. _They're on a _supply _run. You know, since Merle's hurt enough to leave the house and take her to the movies."

"Oh? Those two? The way you described them both I would've never expected that!" Sasha laughed.

"Me either," Daryl butt in, making the girl's laugh even more. Maggie and Merle spent more time together than Beth had with Daryl. Quite frankly, it scared Daryl to see his brother so _involved _with someone that was way out of his league. She was just as much of a farmer's daughter as Beth was. Innocent and caring, Daryl couldn't understand how he and his brother, after all the shitty things that occurred in their lives, ended up with such great women. He didn't question his fate too much though, afraid of losing what he had.

"I know it was short, but I better get going. Dale will be asking about you and so will the rest of them. He made sure to make me tell you, you come back when you're ready. Got it? Don't worry about anything. Dale's got it covered."

"I'll come back soon. It gets a little old being cooped up in the house," Beth smiled at the two beside her.

"Yer tellin' me," Daryl grunted. She nudged his arm before getting up and hugging Sasha one last time. Daryl stood up too, though he didn't expect a hug. Sasha wrapped her arounds around him, careful of his healing wounds. He placed his hands on her awkwardly before she pulled back.

"I'm glad she has you," Sasha smiled again, leaving the couple at the front door. Daryl and Beth watched her car pull out, waving at her as she disappeared around the corner. They stood together for a bit longer, taking in the way evening slowly fused with daylight.

"I told you she was great," Beth finally broke the silence. He closed the door behind them, watching Beth's body fall into the futon, waiting for him to follow suit.

"She's alrigh'," Daryl smiled at her reaction. Sasha was pretty good, but nothing compared to her. She was the best damn person he had met, by far.

"Alright? That's all you've got?"

"Not much compared to you," Beth's heart fluttered at his blunt statement. He wasn't much for flirting, even complimenting wasn't his thing. Her face flushed with bright red. He chuckled at her embarrassment. She kept her eyes lowered, her cheeks still warm.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Her words came out cautious, afraid of bubbling up bad memories.

"Yeah, I do," His response was short, but nothing that couldn't be continued, "I member you puttin' that phone away. Could've let my ass rot in jail."

"You wouldn't have deserved that," Beth pulled away from him, confused at first.

"You think that now, but what's ta say I wouldn't have killed that guy. Maybe I deserved ta be locked up."

Beth grabbed his face, looking into his eyes full on. He could see the way she was trying to look further into him, to understand why he would say such things. Truthfully, he'd only said the things he did because he was insecure. He was afraid of losing her because of his past and what could've been the future.

"You're a good person, Daryl. I knew that back then and I know that now. There's nothing that will ever change my mind about you. I love you."

The words tumbled out of her mouth so naturally she almost caught herself. She waited for him to pull away from her and walk away. She'd never said it openly, afraid of what he might think. Did she love him? _Yes. _She did. She loved him more than herself. More than any other person she'd come to know. Regretting what she had said was out of the question.

"You don't have to say it back-" She started to speak only to be abruptly interrupted by his lips coming down on hers. He grabbed her face, pulling her into his body, showing her with his actions instead of words that he did indeed love her too.

Beth's fingers threaded into his hair, keeping their embrace locked together for a while, slipping into each other's touch blissfully. Their bodies molded together on the small futon like they had done many times before. She could feel Daryl's mouth tug into a smile between their kisses, making her smile too. He threw her on top of himself, stretching out underneath her, while wrapping his arms around her back. She laid on top of him, looking at his eyes just as he was doing the same. She found herself studying his face like she had done many times before. Small wrinkles formed near the edge of his eyes along with rough looking skin that held scruff around his face. He was a rough man with some years on him. He wasn't natural perfection, but to Beth, he was everything she'd wanted, everything she needed, and everything in between. She wouldn't have minded watching him for the rest of her life.

"Can we finish what was interrupted earlier?" Beth's timid voice sang into Daryl's ears. The way she whispered into his neck had him right back to how he was feeling before Sasha's visit. Nothing would disrupt them this time; he would make sure of that. Beth giggled as he pulled her in again for what seemed like the first time all over again. He could get used to living with Beth Greene. He could get used to finally feeling complete.

**A/N: Figured I'd finish this story. Sorry to everyone who is enjoying, but I didn't want to drag anything on :). Alas, This will not be my last fanfiction between these two I'm sure of it. I may even make a sequel to this story! Thank you for all your love, I appreciated it :) xoxo**


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